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Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife 



Patter^ 

S. 



Reminiscences of 
a Soldier's Wife 



By 

Ellen McGowan Biddle 




Philadelphia 
Press of J. B. Lippincott Company 
1907 



I LiB^fARY of congress] 
\wo Oooles Rocelvoo" | 

OCT 16 '90f 

CLASS A XaC, No. 
COPY B. 






Copyright, 1907 
By Ellbn McGowan Biddlb 



TO MY CHILDREN 

Who have brought me so much joy and happiness 



PREFACE 

Sitting on a rose-covered porch, with the odour of 

jessamine, heliotrope and magnolia all about me, my 

thoughts went back to the delightful days of my life 

spent in Mississippi; the inspiration came upon me 

to write the reminiscences of my army life beginning 

in that beloved State. 

E. McG. B. 

Santa Baebara, California. 



List of Illustrations 

PAGE 

Ellen McGowan Biddle Frontispiece 

"Monmouth," Natchez, Mississippi, the Home of Gen- 

BRAL Quitman 36 '' 

General Adelbert Ames, U.S.A 45 

Lieutenant Galbraith Perry Rodgers, U.S.A 52 

Major-General S. S. Sumner, U.S.A 53 

Lieutenant-General Philip H. Sheridan, U.S.A 59 

Lieutenant John Lawrence Churchill, U.S.A 75 

Quarters at Fort Lyon, Colorado Ill 

Lieutenant-General Adna R. Chaffee, U.S.A 131 

General W. T. Sherman, U.S.A 180 

Colonel James Biddle, U.S.A., (afterward Brigadier- 
General, U.S.A.) 220 

Quarters at Fort Robinson, Nebraska 222 

Captain Philip Pendleton Powell, U.S.A 223 

Captain George S. Anderson, U.S.A 234 



" Never set sail to fear : 

Come into port grandly 
Or sail the seas with God." 



Reminiscences of 
a Soldier's Wife 






CHAPTER I. 



On a bright Autiimn day not many years after the 
close of the great Civil War, I started with my two 
sons on the steamer "Flambeau," commanded by 
Captain Alfred Everson, from New York to Savan- 
nah, to join my husband, Captain James Biddle, 
U.S.A., who was then stationed at Macon, Georgia. 
The sea was as smooth as glass ; great flocks of sociable 
gulls, each with a drop of water always on his bill, 
swarmed around to catch what might be thrown from 
the boat, and I and the little ones, — one fourteen 
months old, and the other barely two months — having 
been put under the captain's special care by my 
father and brother-in-law. Captain Harmony, who 
were both sailors and knew the good sea qualities, 
also the good war record, of the captain, found the 

11 



REMINISCENCES OF 



voyage delightful. Jack, the elder, ran about the 
ship taking care of himself, much to the amusement 
of the passengers, while Dave was such a splendid 
specimen of health and good humor he knew not 
what it was to be cross, so we were not avoided by our 
fellow-travellers, but on the contrary we received the 
greatest courtesy and kindness. 

On arriving at Savannah the children and I were 
dressed ready to go ashore, and went on deck to see 
the captain bring the good ship into port. The dock 
was crowded with men and women who had come to 
meet their friends; I glanced over the crowd and 
soon saw my husband was not one of them. I was 
very young and inexperienced and suddenly felt my- 
self growing ill; I knew no more, for I had fainted, 
falling on the deck of the steamer. An English 
gentleman passenger, a stranger, kindly picked me up 
and carried me to the captain's room, tenderly laid 
me on a couch, and then summoned the ship's sur- 
geon. I was speedily brought to my senses and to 
the realisation that I was alone in a strange city 
with two infants, and a nurse scarcely older than 
myself. As soon as the captain got his ship made 
fast and had a moment he came to me. His great 
big sailor heart soon showed out, and he began to 
make plans for me. He telegraphed to Macon and 
soon arrangements were made for our journey, for 

12 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



I insisted upon going that evening. My husband had 
been detained at the last moment, being a member 
of a court-martial. He had telegraphed an officer 
stationed in Savannah asking him to meet me and 
make arrangements to send us to Macon; but either 
the ship got in earlier than was expected, or the 
officer forgot us. I like to give him the benefit of the 
doubt. 

After an early dinner on the ''Flambeau" (for the 
captain would not let us go to the hotel), he took 
me for a drive, to see the city with its lovely gar- 
dens, Pulaski Park of historic memory, and the beau- 
tiful old cemetery, Buena Vista. The city was 
regularly laid out with broad streets, and there were 
innumerable small parks, one at almost every corner ; 
it was a lovely drive, and the captain's kind thought- 
fulness in trying to make me forget my trouble made 
such an impression upon me that I have never for- 
gotten the da}^ He passed into the unknown many 
years ago. ^ ' Uequiescat in pace.'' 

About sundown we started for Macon, travelling 
at night as the day trains were very slow, stopping 
at almost every hamlet; the cars were small and old, 
the road-bed very poor, and there were no sleeping- 
cars. As the night time came on it grew very cold 
and damp; in fact I have never suffered more with 
cold than I did on that journey, and greatly feared 

13 



REMINISCENCES OF 



my children would be made ill. However, as I said 
before, they were perfectly healthful and stood the 
night better than I did, for I had taken my warm 
wraps to cover them, and being far from strong and 
my anxiety great lest something serious had hap- 
pened to prevent the Colonel from meeting me, passed 
a sleepless night. In the morning we were met at 
the station by my husband (who was always called 
"Colonel" from having held that rank during the 
war, and hereafter I shall call him by that title). He 
had never seen his second son, and I was very proud 
to show him the fine boy. 

Six months previous, when the Colonel had been 
ordered to Macon, it was thought best for me and 
my young child ''Jack" not to go south for the 
summer; besides, I was scarcely well enough at that 
time to take a long fatiguing journey, but now we 
had safely arrived, and all of our troubles were for- 
gotten. We went to the hotel to rest a few days 
while the Colonel put a few last finishing touches to 
the little cabin that was to be our home. The garri- 
son, where many of the officers and their families 
lived, was three miles from the city; it was very 
small, and there were no quarters for another family, 
so the Colonel had secured a small cabin (that had 
been used as negro quarters before the war) which 
was near the garrison. After it had been thoroughly 

14 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



cleaned with several coats of good sweet whitewash, 
it was made habitable, and when we got the little 
furniture we owned into it (for the Government 
allowed an officer but a few hundred pounds of 
freight), a few household gods that I always had 
about me, and a great big fire on the hearth, we had 
our first Army Home. 

I soon got an old black Mammy for cook and she 
took care of ' ' all youse chillins, ' ' as she called me and 
the babies, and with the white nurse, Sally, that I 
had taken from home, we got along fairly well. The 
life was entirely new to me, but I soon discovered 
that I had adaptability, which made things easier. I 
was entirely without luxuries and comforts, and had 
many privations, but all of the army ladies had the 
same discomforts, though there were few complaints, 
and never by a thoroughbred. The war had deso- 
lated the whole surrounding country. 

Our little cabin of four rooms stood alone in a 
large field about one hundred feet from a high em- 
bankment along which a railway ran. I was alone 
with my children most of the day except when the 
ladies and the officers of the garrison came in to see 
me. They were very kind (as I afterward learned 
most army women are), telling me what to do and 
how to do it, for I had much to learn; the officers 
came often to luncheon or dinner. Sometimes we 

15 



REMINISCENCES OF 



would go in the kitchen and cook all kinds of things 
from receipt-books, as our amusements were few and 
the good things to eat fewer; there were not many- 
first-class cooks to be found there. The first of my 
chafing-dish cooking that was years later so popular 
on the frontier, I learned at Macon. Often two or 
three of the young lieutenants and myself would get 
up a nice little supper and invite the older officers 
and their wives, and they generally pronounced them 
very good. 

I well remember the first Christmas in the garri- 
son. We invited all the officers and their families 
who lived at the hotel, as well as the young bachelor 
officers who were in the garrison, to dine with us. 
The carpenter made us a long table of boards nailed 
to wooden horses. We all sat on benches, except the 
Colonel and General Ruger, who commanded the dis- 
trict. The room was hung with evergreen and holly, 
which grows in great profusion in that climate. Old 
Mammy cooked us a delicious dinner under my direc- 
tions, for my dear mother had insisted upon my learn- 
ing to cook when I had decided to marry a soldier; 
for she realized the privations I would have to 
undergo much better than I did, as up to that time 
I had hardly had a serious thought. Our dinner was 
fine. We had two roasted turkeys and a fine tender 
goose, a champagned ham, lettuce salad, and an Old 

16 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



English plum-pudding, which my mother had sent 
from home. All of the dinner was put upon the table. 
The young officers — God bless them, many now lying 
in honored graves — served us when we could not help 
ourselves. Colonel Wykoff, who was killed long after 
at San Juan Hill, was one of those dear fellows. It 
was a very happy day, and I love to look back and 
recall those first days of my garrison experience. 
There were no conventionalities ; life was very simple 
and the young officer looked up to his superiors 
with respect and admiration, trying to emulate 
them; for all of the older ones had distinguished 
themselves on the field of battle. 

I also recall the first time I went to church in 
Macon, about three miles distant. I went alone, in 
the old Government ambulance, drawn by two mules. 
When I reached the church door there were many 
people standing about, especially men and young boys, 
and I felt myself ''the observed of all observers." I 
approached the church door with a beating heart, for 
I had heard of many acts of discourtesy being shown 
to Union people; but I went in and found a seat for 
myself, and enjoyed the beautiful service, forgetting 
for the time that I was not in my old "Saint John's," 
of Revolutionary^ date, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The 
next Sunday, when I again went in the same old 
ambulance, I was politely met at the church door and 
2 17 



REMINISCENCES OF 



given a seat in the front of the church. I afterward 
became acquainted with the rector and his charming 
wife, and made many friends in that delightful town 
of cultivated people, and although I lived there but 
four months we came to know and to understand the 
people well and I was sorry when the order came for 
us to go to Natchez, Mississippi. 

After the receipt of the order for the change of 
station, we were very busy breaking up the little 
home. The cabin was soon dismantled, and soldiers 
packed the furniture, mattresses going into a long 
box that had served for a divan, and other things 
going into boxes that had been used as dressing-tables, 
washstands, tables, etc., etc. We were allowed but 
fourteen hundred pounds of freight, and we learned 
to utilize everything. The packing was soon done and 
good-byes said to all of our friends, including the 
dear old black Mammy, with genuine regret. It 
seemed very sad to me to leave the regiment, every 
one of whom had been so kind to me; and one of 
them, Mrs. John Wilkins, seeing the tears in my eyes, 
said: "Oh, you must be a better soldier; it is only 
an au revoir; we will soon meet again," yet it was 
many years before we saw each other and then in 
Arizona, where she was ever most kind to me and 
to my little ones born there, taking the place of my 
mother. She, too, has passed beyond. 

18 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



We left Macon (on the same little old cars that 
had taken us there) for Mobile, Alabama. The 
journey during the day was uneventful; the whole 
country was in a terrible condition from the armies 
passing and repassing over it for several years, and 
it would have been hard then to believe that it ever 
could be as flourishing as it is now. On reaching 
Dalonaga, Georgia, we found the trains went no 
further ; and as the roads and country generally were 
in such bad condition it was considered unsafe to 
travel at night, so we were obliged to go to the primi- 
tive little hotel to remain until morning. The house 
was about three hundred yards from the station. We 
had to pass up through an avenue of trees. The 
Colonel took Jack, who was now a fine, sturdy little 
lad, wearing a blue pilot-cloth overcoat with pockets 
in it (much to his delight), which the sailors on board 
of the receiving-ship "Vermont" had made him dur- 
ing our visit to Lieutenant and Mrs. Harmony at 
the New York Navy-yard. While there we had the 
great pleasure of meeting Admiral Farragut, who 
seemed very fond of my children and often took 
Jack by the hand for a walk around the navy-yard. 
He was also greatly interested in the christening of 
my little son David, and gave me some water brought 
from the river Jordan for the purpose, also a bot- 
tle of fine old Madeira which he had brought 

19 



REMINISCENCES OF 



from the island years before when a midship- 
man. I love to think that my sons have felt the 
kindly touch of this great man's hand. The Admiral 
dearly loved children, and I have observed since then 
that all great men have simple natures and a strong 
love for the little ones in their hearts. 

But to return to Dalonaga, where the Colonel 
had Jack by the hand, the nurse carrying Dave, and 
I bringing up the rear with the carriage-blanket. It 
was quite dark when we arrived at the station, and, 
as I have said, the avenue was lined with trees, so 
that it was now perfectly dark; a man went ahead 
carrying a lantern, while we all followed after. Soon 
after we started I surprised myself by walking into 
a hole that had been dug for a gate-post, which 
must have been five feet deep, and notwithstanding 
I called several times I could not be heard and the 
party went on without me. When the travellers 
arrived at the house and the Colonel was counting 
his little flock, he found, to his great consternation, 
one missing; so the old man with the lantern and he 
started out for a hunt. I was soon located at the 
bottom of the hole, and with the help of both was 
drawn up to terra firma. Our troubles did not end 
here. We were told our train was due at seven a.m. 
but about four o'clock we were awakened by loud 
knocking at our door, and a man saying that our train 

20 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



was due in thirty minutes. Such a time as we had 
getting ourselves and the children dressed, and with 
a nurse, too, who had not under difficulties, developed 
adaptability. On going down stairs ready to start 
we were coolly informed that "the man had made a 
mistake ; thought we were going on the north-bound. ' ' 
I have always been thankful that there was no murder 
committed that morning. 

We reached Mobile safely, notwithstanding the 
dirty old cars and bad road-bed. We went to the 
hotel to remain a day or two, where we found our 
old friend Colonel Ned Hudson, one of the hand- 
somest men in the army, was in command of the 
garrison. He was very glad to see us, insisted upon 
our going to his house, and could not have been 
kinder, and we soon found all the Southern people 
in his department were devoted to him. He was a 
most courtly, elegant gentleman, as well as a fine 
soldier. It has been told of his brother and himself, 
that when they were travelling in Germany they went 
to see the maneuvers of the army. Emperor William 
I, seeing these wonderfully handsome men, both about 
six feet three inches tall, and with splendid physique, 
sent one of his aides-de-camp to inquire who they 
were; on hearing that one was an American army 
officer, he sent for them and showed them every atteur 
tion during their stay. 

21 



REMINISCENCES OF 



Well, I greatly enjoyed the visit to Mobile. The 
ground on which the city is built gradually rises as 
it goes back from the river, and there are high hills 
back of the city where many of the residents go for 
the summer. The streets were beautifully shaded, 
and all had gardens. Among other pleasures was a 
delightful horseback ride with several officers out on 
the shell road, where we stopped and had a cup of 
tea and other little dainties. We also went out to 
the entrance of the bay. I was most anxious to see 
where Farragut ran past Forts Morgan and Gaines, 
and destroyed the Confederate fleet, one member of 
my family having been with the Union fleet. The 
few days were filled with delightful excitement and 
of course I was sorry to leave, but go we must, and 
we left for New Orleans. 

Nothing of interest occurred, the country being as 
desolated as in Georgia, and I was glad when we 
reached the city, where we spent two or three days 
waiting for the boat. Here we met some old friends, 
dined with the dear Marstons, and met Mrs. Shaw, 
Mrs. IMarston's charming mother, who belonged to 
one of the old Creole families. We also drove out 
to Jackson Barracks, on the Mississippi River. It 
was a beautiful place, with wonderful old oak trees 
covered with hanging moss ; the officers ' quarters were 
excellent (compared to the cabin we had lived in). 

22 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



We had tea with Captain and Mrs. Graham, and 
most delicious strawberries; I had not seen Mrs. 
Graham since she was a child in Elizabeth, New 
Jersey, where her father, General Ricketts, a most 
distinguished officer of our army, lived. Mrs. Graham 
married when very young, scarcely sixteen years old. 
It was a great pleasure to meet her again, also her 
husband, now General William M. Graham. Every 
one there seemed glad to see us. There were many 
old friends of the Colonel and they begged us to 
stay a few days — dear, warm-hearted army people! 
We could not accept their hospitality, the Colonel 
being under orders, and I could not think of visiting 
with two babies. While in New Orleans we went to 
see Port Hudson; saw the fortifications where the 
gallant Farragut had a fight in which the frigate 
''Mississippi" was burned, of which the present 
Admiral Dewey was executive officer. These naval 
battles were always most interesting to me. I had 
heard the officers talk them over with my father at 
home, and my brother-in-law, Lieutenant Harmony, 
was on the "Iroquois." 

We also went to see the French Market, another 
interesting sight. There were several buildings of 
unusual architecture, and one would think from the 
number of languages heard spoken that people from 
all over the world had brought their wares for sale. 

23 



REMINISCENCES OF 



The display of flowers was most beautiful. I have 
never since seen it equalled. The day we left we 
went to Lake Pontchartrain and had luncheon with 
some friends, so I was well tired out when we took 
the ' ' General Quitman, ' ' one of the magnificent boats 
that ran on the river at that time, for Natchez, about 
two hundred and eighty miles up the river. The 
boat was commanded by a famous man. Captain 
Leathers, who was killed after an eventful life, many 
years after we had left that part of the country. 

After being on board a short time we found we were 
not persona grata; the Colonel, being in uniform, had 
many black looks, and the people generally on the 
boat stood aloof from the Yankees, but there was 
much to be seen that was new to me — the beautiful 
plantations that lined both sides of the river, the 
numerous boats passing of every description, the 
landing of our own boat at the plantations, and the 
singing of the negroes as they discharged and took 
on cargo. So the day soon passed, and when the 
night time came we had forgotten we had been ostra- 
cised. During the night I was awakened by the 
stewardess, who apologised for calling me ; she said a 
lady on the boat who had a young babe had been 
taken desperately ill the afternoon before; her babe, 
whom she nursed, would not take the bottle and was 
crying with hunger. The stewardess had seen me 

24 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



nurse my fine boy and wondered if I would be willing 
to nurse the poor little infant. It was not long before 
the dear little babe had satisfied the pangs of hunger 
and was sweetly sleeping in my arms; it slept the 
night through; and by arranging matters I had the 
pleasure of nursing both the little ones for about 
twelve hours. 

The second day we were on the boat I was greatly 
surprised when two of the ladies, who had seemed to 
be afraid of my coming too close to them, came to 
me and regretted they had not met me the day before. 
Of course, I was amused, but received them kindly, as 
the victor can always receive the vanquished; never- 
theless I wondered why I was received to-day when I 
was disdained yesterday, but soon learned that the 
stewardess of the boat had told some ladies that I 
had nursed the child, and the mother instinct was 
too strong in them ; they felt that I was as human as 
they, though I had come from the North. Our passage 
after that was delightful, showing how ready these 
distressed people were to yield to kindness. 

Every night there was music and dancing aboard 
until midnight. Each boat always carried a fine 
band, which also played at luncheon and dinner. 
There were games and charades, the latter being much 
in vogue at that time ; while below, many of the men 
passengers played cards, and I was told that thou- 

25 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



sands of dollars often exchanged hands. It was alto- 
gether a new experience for me, and like the Lotus 
Eaters, I sailed along forgetful of the morrow; en- 
joying each day as it came, bringing new scenes into 
my life, as well as new thoughts into my mind. The 
awakening was when we reached Natchez, and I began 
to realise that life was real. 

An amusing incident had occurred before we left 
the boat. Several rough men on the lower deck talked 
in a loud voice about "the war and the South being 
overpowered, but not conquered, and if she had the 
chance she would do it again." The Colonel paid 
no attention whatever to them, but was amused, for 
he well knew that the fighters on both sides were glad 
to lay down their arms. At one place on the river 
some cattle had to be landed. They all went off quietly 
except one steer, who positively refused to leave the 
boat; fmally the poor thing was thrown down and 
bound with ropes, and after much pulling and haul- 
ing the steer was landed; when, to the surprise of 
everyone, a man, leaning over the rail, who had had 
a good many drinks, called out when he saw the steer 
reach the ground : ' ' Overpowered, but not conquered. 
She'll do it again if you give her a chance." It is 
almost useless to say we heard nothing further about 
the South from the roughs. 



CHAPTER II. 



We reached Natchez, under the hill, on a bright 
Sunday morning. The city was built on a high bluff, 
nearly two hundred feet above the river. We had 
to drive up a winding road from the boat. The streets 
were beautifully shaded, like all the Southern cities 
we had passed through, and the lovely china-trees 
were in full bloom, and the odour of the blossom was 
delicious. We went to the little hotel until the 
Colonel could go to the fort and see if there were anj^ 
accommodations for us to live there. While he was 
gone an officer. Lieutenant Gray, called on me. He 
said he was glad the Colonel had arrived, and 
although the houses at the fort were hardly habitable, 
he hoped they could be put in order, so that we might 
live there, etc., etc. All the time he talked I saw he 
was watching me and that something was on his mind. 

The old fort at Natchez was above the city on the 
outskirts. It had been the beautiful home of the 
Surzet family. The "residence" (as fine houses are 
always called in the South) had been pulled down 
during the war and a large earthwork enclosing about 
ten acres of ground was thrown up. The entrance 

27 



REMINISCENCES OF 



was over a causeway through a gate, where a sentinel 
always walked; the guard-house was just inside the 
gate. The house we occupied was a cabin, formerly 
used by the negroes of the Surzet family, and was 
about sixty yards from the guard-house. There were 
no large guns, all having been removed; but the 
magazines were intact — large rooms covered with 
earth. The soldiers' quarters were long two-story 
buildings, near the bluff on the river; there was also 
a little old cabin on the bluff, where I used to sit and 
watch the boats. I soon learned their different lights 
and whistles and could tell at night what boat was 
passing. We soon got the little cabins in order. We 
had two under one roof, each with two rooms; on 
one side was the living-room and dining-room, and on 
the other side two bedrooms. The kitchen was de- 
tached from the house. 

When the Colonel first joined the Eleventh In- 
fantry, then stationed at Natchez, to which he had 
been transferred in the consolidation of regiments 
after the war, there was a very disorderly, rough set 
of men in the army and there was constant fighting 
and trouble in the two companies now under the 
Colonel's command. He told the first sergeant the 
next fight that occurred to call him immediately; 
there were two or three "bullies" who were the ring- 
leaders and caused all the trouble. One evening the 

28 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



sergeant came hastily and reported a fight in the 
quarters. Colonel buckled on his sword and was off 
in a moment. He found two of these bullies had 
knocked down and hurt a couple of peaceful men and 
a general fight had ensued. The Colonel was a man 
weighing two hundred pounds, was an athlete and 
tremendously strong ; he greatly surprised them when 
he picked up one of the big fellows and threw him out 
of the quarters and the other followed in a second 
after. The sergeant was on hand at the door with 
some men, and the two ringleaders were put in the 
guard-house. The next morning the Colonel made 
them walk the earthworks in a barrel with the head 
and bottom knocked out and a heavy log of wood 
across their shoulders. When they found they had a 
master they gave up, and the Colonel had no more 
trouble in the command. Drastic measures had to be 
used in those days. The men, both foreign and 
domestic, were a hard set; not at all the class of 
men we now have in the army. 

The town was very orderly, and in every way 
things went smoothly, and after the military duties 
of the morning were over we rode horseback. The 
country was beautiful, and the gates of the numerous 
plantations were left open and we could ride through 
them from one to the other. The Colonel also had 
charge of the Freedman's Bureau, which had been 

29 



REMINISCENCES OF 



established ]\Iarch 3, 1865, by Congress passing an 
act organizing in the War Department the bureau 
of refugees, freedmen and abandoned lands. It was 
known as the Freedman's Bureau, and remained in 
operation until January 1, 1869. The number of 
rations issued to the colored people during that time 
was over fifteen million and it cost the Government 
$14,996,480. All this work was under the super- 
vision of army officers, in addition to their other 
duties, the Colonel having six counties under his com- 
mand. Often on our rides he combined duty with 
pleasure in going over his department. 

We had been at Natchez but a few months when a 
petition was sent from some men, ("carpet-baggers" 
who had gone from the North to try and secure po- 
litical places,) to General Gillem, commanding the 
district, asking for a reversal of one of Judge Shields ' 
decisions. The case was referred to the Colonel for 
an opinion and report. He carefully examined the 
same and sent his report to the General, sustaining 
the Judge. When the papers were returned the 
Colonel went to the court-room and handed the de- 
cision of General Gillem to the Judges, who compli- 
mented Colonel Biddle on the clear and impressive 
endorsement that had evidently caused the decision 
of the General commanding. After this the people 
could not do enough for us. They found the Colonel 

30 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



just and were willing to abide by his decisions, and 
all that section of the country, in the Freedman's 
Bureau, reconstruction and in all other respects, was 
soon settled, and the people were beginning to forget 
there had been such a bitter war. 

One day later a carriage drove up to our cabin. 
Colonel and I were sitting out-of-doors on the porch, 
— though there was no roof to it and the few narrow 
boards lay flat on the ground. 

An elderly gentleman and lady alighted and came 
toAvards us; the Colonel rose to receive them; they 
introduced themselves and paid us a delightful visit. 
A few days after the gentleman (Judge Shields) 
called again and begged us to live in one of his ' ' resi- 
dences," on a plantation about a mile from the town, 
which was vacant. He was so gentlemanly and put 
the matter in such a way that it made him the 
indebted one to us, instead of our being indebted to 
him for a comfortable home. He said he and his 
wife had been very unhappy since their call, seeing 
me and my children living in the negro quarters be- 
longing to one of their relations. We accepted their 
hospitality and in a few days I moved out with the 
nurses, the children, the cook, the coachman, horses, 
dogs, and of course the Colonel's fighting cocks, for 
they had to have the best of everything ! 

The place was beautiful. I had never seen a 

31 



REMINISCENCES OF 



finer house or garden, and was delighted. The nurse 
helped me to unpack and put the clothes in the 
bureau-drawers and closets. The Colonel came home 
after retreat and left early in the morning. I stayed 
there just two days. The stillness and lonesomeness 
nearly killed me. The little ones were out all day, 
except when sleeping, and I could not stand the 
silence. I had been one of a large family and accus- 
tomed to a large house ; though not so elegant, it was 
filled with gay laughter and joyful sounds. I became 
so homesick that I moved back to the little cabin. 

Shortly after this a fire occurred in the fort, and 
it was with great difficulty kept from reaching the 
magazines. The Colonel decided he would move us 
to a furnished house in town near, and where he could 
be with us oftener and his mind relieved, having us 
away from the dangers and unpleasantnesses of the 
fort. During the time I lived there and all the while 
we were stationed at Natchez I was the only lady 
belonging to the garrison, and many days when the 
Colonel had to be away life seemed very quiet after 
the gay household of girls I have spoken of. 

The officers belonging to my husband's company 
were Lieutenants John L. Churchill and Max Wesen- 
dorf. The former was most delightful, a graduate 
of Columbia College; he came into the army at the 
close of the war. He was clever, well-read, quick at 

32 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



repartee, and altogether a delightful companion, as 
well as being greatly interested in his duties and 
anxious to be a good soldier. He is dead; and 
although he did not die on the field of battle, he gave 
his life to his country, for he died from the effects 
of climate while stationed in the South, which was 
most unhealthful at that period. I often think how 
greatly he brightened the days spent in that forlorn 
little cabin. Often the Colonel had to be gone sev- 
eral hours attending to business of the Freedman's 
Bureau. Lieutenant Churchill would always look 
after us and have some pleasant diversion to pass the 
time. 

Lieutenant Wesendorf was a German, as his name 
indicates, his father being a General in the Prussian 
army. At the outbreak of the Civil War Mr. Wesen- 
dorf joined our army, as many foreigners did, and, 
distinguishing himself, was given a commission. He 
was a good officer as well as a good soldier, which is 
not always the case. 

These gentlemen took their meals with us, as there 
was no place for them to go and no place that could 
be used as a kitchen in their quarters. They both 
lived in one little cabin, an iron bedstead, table, wash- 
stand and a couple of chairs constituting the furni- 
ture of their rooms. Mr. Wesendorf was devotedly 
fond of my son David; and on one occasion, when I 
3 33 



REMINISCENCES OF 



was going away for a few days, he asked: "If you 
should not return, will you give me Dave?" which 
was cheerful, as I was not very strong at the time. 
Dave was now about eight months old and had an old 
black Mammy for a nurse. One day, when I was not 
well, the Colonel went out to the kitchen to see the 
child. It was the servants' dinner hour. He found 
Dave sucking a great piece of 'possum, the grease 
fairly running off his elbows. He exclaimed : ' ' Lucy, 
what do you mean by giving the child that meat?" 
Lucy said: ''Why, Lord bless your soul, Massa 
Colonel, he's bin eatin' 'possum for months; it don't 
hurt him, it makes him grow." Certainly Dave was 
the picture of health, and the biggest child of his 
age I ever saw; so perhaps the 'possum did not hurt 
him ; but I should hardly prescribe it as a baby 's diet. 
As I have said, we soon moved to town and had a 
nice little house and garden. The Colonel had become 
a great favorite in the town with the men, and the 
women were coming to see me. "We were invited to 
luncheons, dinners, and receptions, all of which 
pleased me very much; for I had not gone into so- 
ciety before my marriage (being considered too 
young) and I thought it delightful. I had good 
servants; Becky, the cook, also did the marketing. 
Caroline, a light mulatto, was the head nurse, and 
a more faithful creature never lived; she was a most 

34 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



accomplished maid, very responsible and reliable in 
every way. She lived with me a number of years 
and then had to return to the South (on a small pen- 
sion), on account of her health. It was a great grief 
to me and the boys when we had to give her up. 
Thornton, our coachman, was also a good reliable man. 
They were all negroes and had been slaves, raised in 
the families in and about Natchez. We got them all 
when we moved to the town ; they were recommended 
by our friends, who had been on the lookout for 
them for us. Owing to them, my household cares 
were few ; a visit to the kitchen and old Becky in the 
morning with the menu for twenty-four hours was 
all I had to do in that department, and Caroline 
looked after the rest of the house; so I was able to 
be out-of-doors most of the day, generally riding 
horseback in the morning, and driving in the after- 
noon with the children and nurses or making calls. 

The life was delightful, and some of the warmest 
and dearest friends of my life were then made. We 
often went fox hunting, getting up early in the morn- 
ing to be off before day. We would hear the horn 
singing, * ' A southerly wind and clouded sky proclaim 
it a hunting morning." No gate or bars stopped me 
in those days. Often the Colonel was scared seeing 
me take them, but I never had an accident. Many 
years later I came near having one, having mounted a 

35 



REMINISCENCES OF 



bucking horse, but with assistance got off without 
accident. Cock-fighting was a favorite pastime of 
the gentlemen of Natchez and the South, and my hus- 
band,, being somewhat of a sporting man, always had 
fine birds and was ready to join them. I well remem- 
ber one day when Mr. Minor was to have a main. 
The gentlemen from town had taken their birds out 
in their carriages to his plantation, when it began 
to rain; so they all adjourned to his wife's parlour, 
she being in New Orleans at the time. I often won- 
dered what was the final result of that main. 

I must not forget to say that the Colonel was able 
to get money from the Government for the rent of 
the ground where the fort stood from the time the 
war ceased. Mrs. Surzet, from being very wealthy, 
had become poor. She had lost her slaves; her house 
and property had been taken for a fort, and the house 
was demolished. It seemed only just that she should 
have rent for the ground after the war ceased. 

Although I was born south of Mason and Dixon's 
line, I was not old enough when my parents moved 
North to remember anything about it ; but the outdoor 
life, the grand old oaks with the hanging moss, the 
wonderful bloom of the flowers, particularly the 
camellias and japonicas, which I had never before 
seen, appealed to me greatly. Often flat baskets filled 
with these exquisite flowers were sent me, their deli- 

36 




"MONMOUTH," NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI, THE HOME OF GENERAL QUITMAN 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



cate stems being stuck in wet sand, and somehow they 
always reminded me of beautiful white doves. 

There is but one unpleasant memory connected 
with my life in this dear city, and that is, I had the 
yellow fever. I had not the least fear of the disease, 
though the Colonel was fearful for us and had taken 
a house in the country. We were just about to move, 
when I came in from a drive with a headache, and, 
though it was unusual, the thought of the fever did 
not occur to me and I continued our preparations to 
move ; until I felt so badly that I thought I would go 
into the parlour, where it was cool and quiet, and 
lie down on the big old-fashioned sofa. How long I 
was there I never knew. Lieutenant Wesendorf came 
in to dinner about two o'clock and found me lying 
there unconscious, picked me up and carried me into 
the Colonel's room on the other side of the hall, where 
he was in bed with the dengue or break-bone fever. 
In an instant he was out of bed, and Wesendorf went 
on his horse as fast as possible for the post surgeon. 
Dr. Gillet. It was soon discovered that I had the 
fever. The children and nurses were sent away. A 
fire was made on my hearth and the windows in both 
rooms were opened and kept open, having a current 
of air with the bedstead entirely out of the draught. 
The doctor never left the house until I was convales- 
cent. He and my husband took turns in getting a 

37 



REMINISCENCES OF 



little sleep. It took me a long while to recover from 
the effects of that dreaded and dreadful disease, and 
I always thought I never looked quite the same after 
it. The freshness of youth was gone, but my life 
was saved, and neither of my children or my faithful 
servants took the disease and I was thankful. 

I must not forget to say that the yellow fever was 
brought into Natchez by a peddler. The Colonel had 
quarantined Natchez against all boats coming from 
New Orleans and the South. This peddler got off the 
boat some miles below and walked to the city, where 
he fell in the street and died, and it was found he had 
died of the fever. Hundreds of cases and many 
deaths was the result. 

I remember one day passing a shop, kept by Mr, 
Carradine, and seeing a beautiful blue-and-white 
French organdie muslin, which I greatly admired. My 
husband asked: ''Don't you want it?" but I had just 
received a box of gowns from Sophie in New Orleans 
and felt I did not need it. Still he tempted me, say- 
ing: "If you will make it yourself, I will not only 
buy the material, but you can buy any Valenciennes 
lace you may want to trim it with." He well knew 
my weakness; there was nothing I loved so much as 
a bit of lace — real filmy, beautiful old lace. I hesi* 
tated, however, remembering so well the time when 
first married he gave me a twenty-dollar gold piece 

38 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



(when gold was scarce) if I would make a plain 
calico dress for myself. Unfortunately, I took the pay 
in advance. Many times I threw the thing down, de- 
claring I would try no more to finish it; when the 
Colonel would quietly say: ''But you have spent the 
twenty dollars;'' and I would go to work again. He 
was anxious for me to learn to sew, knowing I might 
have it to do sometime when away from civilisation, 
as we were apt to be. The lace tempted me and the 
materials were bought. (The lace I have to this day.) 
Fortunately for me, just at this time the beautiful 
Mrs. Marston came to visit us (with her dear little 
Clarisse), and under her directions the gown was built 
and was a thing of beauty for many years, and 
greatly admired. The making of it developed a latent 
talent, for afterward, when we lived on the frontier 
and I could not have sewing of any kind done, with 
the help of the nurse I made everything that my chil- 
dren and I wore. So the Colonel did not lose greatly 
in the end, and I was benefited. 

►We had been at Natchez nearly two years when one 
day the Colonel came in hastily and said: ''Orders 
have come for the command to go to Jackson, 
Mississippi. Can you be ready in twenty-four hours 
to move?" Of course, I could, and was. Some men 
from the company came and packed the little furni- 
ture we had. 

39 



REMINISCENCES OF 



We were living in a furnished house, and 
it did not take long to pack silver, glass, china, 
books, and our clothes. When it became known that 
we were to leave, there was universal regret, every one 
thinking the carpet-baggers had succeeded in having 
the Colonel removed as they had never ceased trying, 
and reported to AVashington that the Colonel was too 
intimate and too lenient to the Southern people, com- 
pletely forgetting that the war was over; but the 
Colonel was being ordered to a more important com- 
mand. Everything was peaceful here, and the troops 
had to go where they were needed. Among the notes 
received, — of condolence, I was about to say, — one 
came from Mrs. Henry, a most charming woman, who 
had a young girls' school. She wrote : "It is said that 
when stout old Martin Luther was irritable or tempted 
to be cast down by the successful machinations of ene- 
mies, or anything of the sort, he would go for strength 
and comfort to the thirty-seventh Psalm. I have read 
it this morning to the young ladies with decided bene- 
fit to them and to myself." This note so greatly 
impressed me that I have never forgotten it, nor have 
I ever read the thirty-seventh Psalm without thinking 
of the dear woman and my happy life while near her. 

The night we left Natchez to take the boat for 
Vicksburg, en route for Jackson, the Colonel had a 
great compliment paid him. The few men that were 

40 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



left of the military company and band that had been 
raised at Natchez for the Confederate army, marched 
up to the fort and escorted the Colonel's company to 
the boat amid cheers of the citizens. A great crowd 
had collected, and when the people on the boat 
learned the cause of the enthusiasm, our reception was 
slightly different from that at New Orleans; and I 
really feared from the numerous requests to "have 
a drink with me," that there might be trouble for 
the Colonel later on, as he was usually the most 
abstemious man. 

The journey to Vicksburg, which was about one 
hundred and twenty-five miles above Natchez, was 
delightful; the river was very high and much of the 
land was under water; travel on those magnificent 
boats was always a delight to me. There was so 
much of interest to be seen, and there were always 
charming people aboard. We made several trips dur- 
ing our stay South and they were always filled with 
interest. We reached the city safely and remained 
twenty-four hours. This city is also on a high bluff, 
and rises in terraces from the river. I wanted greatly 
to see. where the great fighting had been done ; where 
Farragut, in 1862, bombarded the place and passed 
the batteries with so little damage, and later when the 
invincible Grant with his forces succeeded in captur- 
ing the city and surrounding country. I rode on a 

41 



REMINISCENCES OF 



fine horse with some officers, more than twenty miles 
over these battle-fields, where so many men on both 
sides gave np their lives. My own brother, only six- 
teen years old, had been with Grant's army at this 
place, which made this visit of more than usual 
interest. 

Many of the officers and families stationed at Vicks- 
burg had visited us at Natchez; among them were 
General Ord and his staff. General Gillem, who was 
colonel of our regiment. Captain Beach, who after- 
wards resigned and always regretted it, and many 
others. We were given a reception and dance, which 
I greatly enjoyed, not having had a dance since I 
left home, but I had plenty that night, for each officer 
considered it a duty, aside from the pleasure, to dance 
at least once with the guest. Here I again met Cap- 
tain Gray, and I remember that I failed to relate 
a little incident that occurred before we left Natchez. 
One afternoon, just after dinner. Captain Gray came 
in to say "Good-bye;" he had gotten his promotion 
and was to go to another company. After sitting a 
little while he said, ' ' Before I leave I have an apology 
I wish to make you." 

I was rather surprised, as he had always been very 
polite. He continued, ''You may remember I called 
on you at the hotel when you first arrived." I did. 
He said, ' ' I returned to the garrison and said to these 

42 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



officers (pointing to Lieutenants Churchill and 
Wesendorf), that I was sure we had caught a 'Tar- 
tar' from your very sharp nose. I now want to 
apologise to you, not only for saying it, but thinking 
it, and only wish I could serve the rest of my military 
life in the same garrison with you." We all laughed 
at the joke on me and tried to put him at his ease, 
for he seemed most uncomfortable. I had never 
known him very well; indeed he rarely went around 
with the other officers. He too, poor fellow, is dead. 



CHAPTER III. 



We left Vicksburg by rail for Jackson, where we 
arrived in the afternoon. We went to the hotel for 
a few days, until we could look at our "quarters'* 
and get them in order. We found we were to have 
a very nice house in a beautiful garden, adjoining 
the garrison, which was quite large, both cavalry and 
infantry being there, and the Colonel was to be in 
command. The house was soon gotten in order; a 
little more furniture bought, pictures and curtains 
hung, piano rented, and new cases for books. In a 
week's time we were in order, and ready for the 
officers to come in to dinner or any meal, for during 
the Colonel's entire military life he kept open house. 
We received a very warm welcome on our arrival, 
both from the garrison and the citizens, letters having 
been written from Natchez to the gentlemen and their 
families introducing us. 

The reconstruction of the States was going on and 
there was some unpleasant business there to be per- 
formed. A good deal of uneasiness had been felt in 
regard to turning the State over to the military, and 
the Colonel had been sent to see this successfully 

44 



ST' *v^,-«^. .l*/5r^;« 



i .1. ^- 




^-cLUM^aJ- '^y-n^.^ 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



carried out with as little friction as possible, as he 
had shown his adaptability in getting along with the 
reconstruction in all of the Southern cities where he 
had been stationed. The civil officers were mostly 
Confederate soldiers and determined men. General 
Ames, the lieutenant-colonel of our regiment, whom 
the Government had appointed Military Governor, 
had called on the Colonel to put him in possession of 
the State House, as the Civil Governor had declined 
to give up the office. It was fortunate for the Colonel 
that most of the civil officers had been soldiers, for 
they realized the difficulty of his position. Of course 
it required great delicacy to gain the point without 
trouble. The Colonel took a sergeant and three men 
(though he had been advised to take a troop) ; the 
soldiers were left outside the State House. On going 
in he found the governor, some State officials, and a 
few of their friends. He bowed and told them he was 
called upon to perform a most unpleasant duty, but 
he would do it in the kindest manner he could, and 
would not attempt to expel them; he would simply 
place a sentinel at the door with instructions to allow 
all to pass out, but after they had passed out, none 
could return, or the sentinel would resist them. This 
made them the aggressors, if they attempted to return, 
as they would defy the power of the United States 
Government. All went well. They went out one by 

45 



REMINISCENCES OF 



one ; the last to leave was Governor Humphries, a fine, 
soldierly man, who understood the matter and felt 
the Colonel had done his duty as kindly and consid- 
erately as he could. 

As I have said, reconstruction was taking place all 
over the South. When the States seceded they went 
out of the Union as far as they could ; they withdrew 
their Representatives from Congress, and repudiated 
the laws of the United States; in the words of the 
South, ''They seceded." At the end of the Civil 
War, or War of the States, the Government of the 
United States reasserted its authority, and Andrew 
Johnson, who became President of the United States 
(by reason of the assassination of that great man, 
President Lincoln), reorganised the establishment of 
the State government through the action of the white 
people alone. Congress refused to recognise the Presi- 
dent 's action, and held that the negro, being made 
free by the war, could find his protection in the bal- 
lot, as does the white man; with this object in view, 
Congress passed laws directing elections to be had 
throughout the seceded States under the control and 
direction of officers of the army. At these elections 
the whites and blacks were equally permitted to vote, 
electing all civil State officers from the highest to 
the lowest. The States thus reconstructed were ad- 
mitted into the Union. I have always felt a pride 

46 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



that the State of Mississippi, of which we grew so 
fond, w^as so fortunate at this time in its governors 
(Ames and Alcorn) that the expenses incidental to 
the repairing and rebuilding public buildings and 
establishment of innumerable schools left the State 
in debt less than a half million dollars (as can be seen 
by the official records), a record made by few, if any, 
Northern States. 

During the reconstruction. General Porter and Gen- 
eral Babcock, two distinguished officers of General 
Grant 's staff, came on a visit of inspection to Jackson. 
It was a great pleasure to meet these gentlemen, and 
we arranged a dinner for them by borrowing from 
the ladies in the garrison enough silver, glass and 
china, for the supply of each in those days was lim- 
ited. Most of the officers on duty there were invited, 
among them being General Ames, Colonel Crane, 
Captain Sumner, Major Norton and Lieutenants 
Churchill and Corey. I was the only lady present 
as the scarcity of china would not permit of the others 
being asked; but they came and helped me arrange 
the table and to do many other necessary things, and 
joined us afterwards. 

The dinner was very gay; and what gave great 
amusement to these men from the delightful city of 
Washington was that Jack, who with Dave had been 
left to take care of himself (while Caroline, their 

47 



REMINISCENCES OF 



nurse, assisted the waiter), put his head in the din- 
ing-room door just as the man was bringing in an 
omelette souffle and shouted: "Oh, Dave, they've 
got pudding!" 

General Babcock died not long after this ; but Gen- 
eral Porter still lives and each year adds new laurels 
to his already brilliant record, the last being his in- 
terest in finding the body of Paul Jones, who did so 
much for the cause of liberty when our young country 
was going through its great struggle. 

As I have said. General Ames, who had been ap- 
pointed Military Governor, was also the lieutenant- 
colonel of our regiment (Eleventh Infantry). He 
was a young man of fine ability and had greatlj^ dis- 
tinguished himself during the war in several battles, 
besides being quite the hero of Port Fisher. All of 
the civil offices were filled by army officers, and it was 
shortly after the installation of the Military Governor 
that Colonel Crane, who had been appointed mayor 
of the city of Jackson, was murdered by a man named 
Yerger, who had always held a good position in so- 
ciety and was well connected. Yerger, seeing Colonel 
Crane on the street, unbuttoned his cuffs and took 
them off, saying "he had some work to do." He 
coolly walked up to the Colonel and stabbed him to 
the heart. Yerger was immediately arrested by the 
soldiers and we expected a trial by court-martial, but 

48 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



for some reason, although the city was under military 
rule, he was, some time later, turned over to the civil 
authorities and through some technicality of the law 
was released on bail. He removed to Baltimore (as 
public sentiment was so greatly against him in Jack- 
son), where he dropped dead in the street some two 
years later. Every one was deeply grieved at this 
murder as Colonel Crane had been a great favorite 
with all of the better class of citizens as well as with 
the army. He was from Dayton, Ohio, a fine soldier, 
and a handsome, genial man, standing six feet two 
inches tall, and full of humor. I remember meeting 
him one morning and asking if he were going to the 
"hop" that night. ''Oh, yes," he said, "I am going 
to see you dance, for I know if the floor were covered 
with eggs and you danced over them, not one would 
be broken." Another time he said to Mrs. Sumner, 
"I cannot understand how frail women like you and 
Ellen, who look as if a gentle wind would blow you 
over, can dance as you do; why you seem to possess 
more endurance than a government mule." There 
was, and is, a " hop ' ' or informal dance every Friday 
evening in most army garrisons, especially those of 
the frontier; there is usually a good orchestra and 
army officers are proverbially good dancers. Besides, 
these gatherings bring the officers' families together 
and are generally delightful. An army woman usually 
4 49 



REMINISCENCES OF 



keeps her youth because she dances so much; she 
rarely gives it up until her husband retires from 
service, and aside from the pleasure it is a most 
healthful exercise. I recall walking with Colonel 
Crane one morning across the garrison, when we were 
joined by General Ames and Major Norton. "We came 
to a wide puddle of water (it had rained the night 
before) ; as quick as thought Colonel Crane seized 
the military cape from Major Norton's shoulders and 
threw it across the puddle, and taking my hand led 
me across, saying as we went, ''Sir Walter Ealeigh 
outdone. ' ' 

The garrison life was most delightful; there were 
two troops of the Fifth Cavalry, and two companies 
of the Eleventh Infantry. The drills and parades 
were most interesting; the sound of the trumpets, 
and the band playing for guard mount, and other 
times during the day, was very inspiring ; the officers 
dropping in informally during the day and evening 
always so cheerful and bright, and with their pretty 
speeches, made a halo around it all, and what a bless- 
ing it was so, for there were plenty of hardships to 
come for us all. 

Jackson was the capital of the State ; it was not so 
beautiful a city as Natchez, dear Natchez, always so 
dear to my heart, but the drives were beautiful and 
I rode horseback every day, generally with one of the 

50 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



lieutenants in the morning, when the Colonel was busy 
with his military duties, for he had much to do here. 
I remember with pleasure one young officer I rode 
often with, Galbraith Perry Rodgers, who sat his 
horse like a centaur, and rode magnificently. He was 
a dashing young cavalryman, over six feet tall and 
of splendid physique, with a good strong face. Alas ! 
poor fellow, he died young, and had so much to live 
for. Then there was Captain Dwyer, who rode well, 
and had such a sympathetic voice ; we made him sing 
for us always; and the clever Alfred Bache, always 
so charming and bright; and our dear Churchill — 
dead, all of them gone, splendid fellows all. Then 
there was Captain Charlie Wykoff (who, as I have 
mentioned, was afterwards killed at San Juan Hill, 
Cuba) ; and Captain Sam Sumner, another dashing 
young cavalryman, and his dear little wife, of whom 
I was always so fond ; also her mother, Mrs. Bennett ; 
Captain Wilson of the Fifth, who was always im- 
maculately dressed; and Major Tom Norton, who was 
so big and good-natured, and so absent-minded that 
the officers used to make him believe he had had 
his breakfast when he had not. Then there were 
Lieutenant and Mrs. Lott; she was a very handsome 
young woman from Kentucky; also a very good-look- 
ing young lieutenant named Corey in Major Norton's 
company. 

51 



REMINISCENCES OF 



We were all so happy and light-hearted. The 
officers attended to their duties and then we were all 
together, riding, driving or walking; the outdoor life 
was so delightful. The evenings were spent with 
music, singing negro melodies or old songs that every 
one knew; usually some of the officers had a game of 
cards, and at about 9.30 we would have a little 
chafing-dish supper and then separate. One night in 
the week, usually Friday, we had a ''hop" at the 
Governor's Mansion, General Ames being the Mili- 
tary Governor, and then the Fifth Cavalry Band, or 
part of it, played for us. Now, after so many years 
have passed, when I hear a strain of the beautiful 
"Blue Danube" or other Strauss waltzes, played so 
much at that time and to which I so often danced, I 
am thrilled through and through and carried back 
to the dear delightful days of my youth. 

Sometimes we would take little trips to Vicksburg 
or other places in the State, where the Colonel would 
go on reconstruction business. They were always 
enjoyable, but I was glad to get back to the dear 
little home and my garden of roses and other choice 
plants we did not have in the North, and to the dear 
friends who welcomed me so heartily. 

I remember so well going to New Orleans on a 
little visit, — Captain Sumner (now a major-general) 
and his wife, Mrs. Bennett, General Ames, the Colonel 

52 




LIEUTENANT GAl.BRAITH ROGERS, U.S.A. 



PI 



^ 




>iAJOR GEXERAI, S. S. .SUMNER, U.S.A. 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



and myself.^ We went for the Mardi Gras and 
stopped at the famous old ''Saint Charles Hotel." 
Not long ago I happened to be again in New Orleans. 
I walked over the Saint Charles as if in a dream. 
Nothing was familiar ; I could recall no scene or place 
of the picture that had dwelt in my mind so many 



^ And here I feel I must say something more of that dis- 
tinguished officer General Sumner. When only a lad he 
served in the Civil War and was brevetted three different 
times for gallantry. After the Civil War was over he was 
again brevetted for great gallantry in action against Indians 
at Summit, Colorado. When the Spanish War came on he 
was colonel of the famous Sixth Cavalry. He took his regi- 
ment to Chickamauga, Tennessee, and was there appointed 
brigadier-general of volunteers, and assigned to command 
the First Cavalry Brigade, his brigade forming part of the 
expedition to San Diego, Cuba. He served through the en- 
tire campaign, after which he was appointed a major-general 
of volunteers for his distinguished services. After the war 
was over General Sumner was selected for service as military 
attache at the Court of St. James. He remained in England 
until July, 1900, when at his own request he was relieved from 
duty and hastened to join his regiment in China. The ser- 
vices of the Sixth Cavalry are too well known for me to go into 
detail. After the war in China, where General Sumner had com- 
manded a provisional brigade, he took his regiment to the 
Philippines, where he again did gallant work, and was 
appointed a brigadier-general of the regular army in 1901. 
He remained in the Philippines three years, and in 1903 was 
appointed a major-general. 

53 



REMINISCENCES OF 



years. Upon inquiry I found the old hotel with its 
charming environment had been destroyed; the one 
I was in had been erected on the same site; but the 
passing of the old house had not obliterated the mem- 
ories that linger round it. (Pardon the digression, 
if digression it is.) 

When we arrived we met Major McCall, an old 
Philadelphia friend of the Colonel, who had a plan- 
tation just above the city on the Mississippi River. 
He gave us a dinner at ''The Belenger, " the then 
famous restaurant, where we saw the wonderful pro- 
cession of the ''Mystic Crewe of Comus" from a 
balcony, after which we drove to the theatre to wit- 
ness the ball. We had a box where we could see every- 
thing. My friend Mrs. Marston and the Major were 
with us, and Emma and I slipped out of the box to 
have a dance with two of the men in grand uniform 
— aides to the King of Comus. All too soon it was 
time for us to go home, and when we got to our 
carriage, we found our husbands were not going home 
with us; they were going to have a "peep" at the 
French Ball, while Major McCall would take us 
home. We begged for a "peep" also; but no, they 
were obdurate. After getting into the carriage we 
begged and implored the Major to take us. The poor 
man could not refuse, and finally said that if we 
would promise to go in a latticed box, where we 

54 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



could not be seen, he would take us for a few min- 
utes. Of course, we promised; so we stopped at a 
costumer's and each got a domino and mask. When 
we got to Mrs. Shaw's to change our gowns, she tried 
in every way to persuade us not to go; but we, too, 
were obdurate, so she helped us dress and we were 
soon off. 

When we reached the Opera House my heart began 
to beat wildly. All was new to me. I had been raised 
ver}^ carefully in a quiet little church-going town, and 
knew but little of the gay world, except what I had 
seen at my father's house. We got inside the foyer, 
when Mrs. Marston, who was born and raised in New 
Orleans, and had all the charm and culture of a 
young society woman, raised in that city and by 
such a distinguished mother, knew exactly what to 
do; and having full courage, taking my hand, said, 
"Come quickly!" and I, none the less willing, fol- 
lowed. In a moment we had left the Major in the 
crowd and were in the ball-room on the floor — and 
there happened a strange thing. The first man to 
approach us was the Colonel, who offered me his 
arm for a promenade. (The men were not masked, 
only the women.) We walked for a short distance, 
when he asked me to take his other arm, which I 
did, and in a moment he said: "Well, my dear, now 
that you have seen the ball-room, don't you think we 

55 



REMINISCENCES OF 



had better go home ? ' ' My astonishment can be better 
imagined than expressed. 

However, we remained until midnight, dancing and 
talking with different men, some of whom we knew, 
and we puzzled them greatly. I was thrilled with 
the excitement of the scene, for it was the first ''Bal 
Masque" I had ever seen. When we recovered from 
the astonishment of our husbands joining us, they 
told us that Mrs. Shaw had sent a note by a faithful 
coloured servant, to Major Marston, telling him that 
we would be there and for them to be on the lookout 
for us. She had not only described our dominos, 
but, fearing others might be there like them, had 
marked the right sleeve. She said she knew we would 
not remain in a latticed box when once we were 
inside of the Opera House. I have always been glad 
I saw the sight that night, as I have never seen any- 
thing like it since, — such wonderfully beautiful gowns 
of satin in all colours, and lace, marvellous lace to 
my eyes, and such dancing and high kicking! It 
was many years before the high kicking in dancing 
became the vogue here in the North, or the South 
either. I think I may say, I thoroughly enjoyed it 
all, and I may add that no one ever knew we were 
there but the men who looked after us, and this is 
the first time it has ever been told. There is much 
I would like to tell about the ball, but as this little 

56 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



reminiscence is for my grandchildren, perhaps I had 
better not. 

I would like to say a word about the coloured 
servant man who carried the note to Major Marston. 
I was told that he had been a slave in Mr. Shaw's 
family for a number of years, and was their butler 
when the war broke out. Mr. Shaw, who was a 
Southern man, gave generously of his wealth to the 
Confederacy to help buy ships, ammunition, etc. 
When New Orleans fell into our hands, much prop- 
erty, silverware, jewels, etc., were confiscated. Mr. 
Shaw had died, but Mrs. Shaw 's house was thoroughly 
searched a number of times without anything of value 
being found. This servant, who had remained faith- 
ful to the family, was repeatedly asked where the 
treasures were kept, but would never tell. He was 
finally imprisoned and kept some days, but he re- 
mained true to his mistress and never divulged where 
the things had been placed for safety. 

One afternoon during this visit Captain and Mrs. 
Sumner, Mrs. Bennett and General Ames went for a 
drive to Lake Pontchartrain. I intended returning 
some calls, and the Colonel had gone to the races 
with friends. Just as I was ready to start who should 
arrive but Lieutenant Wesendorf from the garrison 
at Jackson. He had gotten a twenty-four hours' 
' * leave ' ' and ran down to see if we were all having 

57 



REMINISCENCES OF 



a good time, and to see New Orleans. He was most 
anxious to see the French or Creole part of the town. 
Off we went. We crossed Canal Street, where the 
negroes sat with their bright-colored bandana hand- 
kerchiefs wrapped picturesquely round their heads, 
selling prolines; we were soon in the old French 
quarter. The architecture was entirely different; 
there were silent old houses with charming interior 
courtyards; the inhabitants seemed to be asleep, the 
whole place was so quiet. After a long walk over 
this romantic part of the town, we went into an 
old French confectioner's for some chocolate and 
sweets; it was delightfully clean, the floor covered 
with white sand, the linen spotless ; there were pretty 
French prints on the wall, besides innumerable pic- 
tures of Napoleon, as will be seen in all restaurants. 
It was all very fascinating, and we lingered longer 
than we intended. When we started I was amazed 
to see the street-lamps lighted, and the shades of 
night fast falling; we hurried along, got an omnibus 
at Canal Street, which soon landed us at the hotel, 
but not before a great commotion had occurred. All 
were greatly alarmed at my absence. We met Captain 
Sumner on the pavement much excited, who told us 
that each one had gone to different places looking for 
me, and the Colonel had just decided to see the chief 
of police, as he was sure something must have hap- 

58 




c/ Cu^ 




c^^ 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



pened to me. The reason of all this excitement was, 
that up to that time I had always lived in a garrison 
and was generally in the house at twilight; so that 
my absence in a large city after sundown, and alone, 
as they all supposed, had given some alarm. After 
the excitement cooled down and they saw Lieutenant 
Wesendorf, he was given a hearty welcome, although 
he was really the culprit, but I had had a most 
charming afternoon. 

We returned to Jackson the following day, I com- 
pletely tired out with the excitement of all I had seen 
and done; but the memory of that visit will ever 
remain with me. I afterward made a visit to Mrs. 
Marston, and had the pleasure of meeting and know- 
ing General Sheridan, one of the greatest cavalry 
officers that ever lived; also knew his staff officers — 
Colonel Schuyler Crosby, who was then one of the 
handsomest men in the army ; Dr. Morris Asche ; the 
two Forsyths ("Tony" and "Sandy," as they were 
called) ; and General Sawtelle ; all fine soldiers and 
agreeable men. What a gay visit it was! What de- 
lightful rides, drives, dinners and dances we had, and 
what flowers ! I never smell the odour of violets with- 
out being carried back to those dear delightful days, 
when my room was filled with them. 

It was only a short time after my return to Jack- 
son from this visit that the order came for us to move 

59 



REMINISCENCES OF 



to Texas. We had been here nearly two years and the 
thought had scarcely occurred to me that some day 
I must go. Indeed, I thought my heart would break 
to give up my dear little home, my garden and flowers, 
in which I had taken such interest, and the dear 
friends whom I had learned to love so dearly ; besides 
I had such a horror of Texas, and I was not very well. 
But it had to be done. Things were packed ready 
to move, yet when the last moment came I could not 
go; the packing had been too much for me and the 
doctor said I must keep perfectly quiet in my bed 
for at least two weeks. The Colonel and the troops 
got off, and I, the children and nurse stayed with 
friends until I was able to take the journey. It was 
hard to say ' ' Good-bye. " My nature at that time was 
so intense I could not help loving the dear people who 
were so kind and made my life almost one great 
holiday, and whom I might never see again. Indeed, 
as I look back to that period of my life I can hardly 
understand the great joy that filled my heart; life 
seemed so real, friends so sincere, the days were filled 
with sunshine, and the air redolent with the odour 
of ever-blooming flowers. For the first time in my 
existence I realised the soul within me and that the 
world was beautiful to live in. Is it any wonder that 
I love the State of Mississippi, where I, too, unfolded 
as the flowers did, and developed from the girl into 

60 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



the woman? ''O sweet past, sometimes remembrance 
raises thy long veil, then we weep in recognising 
thee!" 

All too soon the day came for us to start, — my two 
little men, the good Caroline, and myself. We left 
in the afternoon, journeying over the same road 
which had given me so much pleasure only a short 
time before. I could not help crying, much to Jack's 
sorrow. It was an unusual sight to him and he put 
his arms around me and said: "Why do you cry, 
mamma?" and I said: '^Oh, dear child, I don't want 
to go to Texas ; it is so far off. " (I did not realise 
that later I should go many, many miles further 
off, and without the dear boys who were my pride 
and delight.) 

While Jack and I were talking, he trying to com- 
fort me (as he has since done in all his life when 
trouble and distress came upon me), two gentlemen 
near, hearing our conversation, spoke to me and said 
Texas was not such a bad place, and gave me quite a 
bit of information about it, saying many of the rough 
element of the volunteer armies on both sides had been 
disbanded in Eastern Texas. They had become very 
lawless, and the Government was determined to put 
that element down at once ; besides, the reconstruction 
was not going smoothly, so the regular troops were 
being ordered into the State — and I may say right 

61 



REMINISCENCES OF 



here that order was restored within a few months 
after their arrival. 

That night, after every one had retired, we were 
suddenly awakened by that awful and unmistakable 
sound of croup; poor Jack was in the throes. The 
men who had talked to me a few hours before were 
up in a moment to see what they could do. They 
first wet a towel and bound it round his throat and 
put a dry one over it; then they found some one on 
the train who had ipecac, which was given, and after 
a couple of hours of great anxiety the child fell 
asleep, and I realised that there were good people 
everywhere, even from Texas. 

We reached New Orleans early in the morning, 
where we remained until the following day. I had no 
desire to go out or to see any one, though several kind 
friends came to see us. It seemed so different com- 
pared to the other times I had been in this gay city, 
and I dreaded to take the journey which was before 
me, alone. For the first time in my life my spirits 
had deserted me and I seemed to have a foreboding 
that all would not be well. 

The next morning after our arrival in New Orleans 
we took the steamer to cross the Gulf of Mexico to 
Galveston, a most disagreeable journey. As we went 
on board, who should I see but the two men who had 
been so kind to us on the train ; I really greeted them 

62 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



as old friends. Caroline was sick all the way over; 
fortunately, I was a good sailor, for I liad two pretty 
active lads to look after. We parted with our fellow 
passengers at Galveston. The Colonel, who met me, 
thanked them for their courtesy and kindness, and 
I said "Good-bye," forgetting we might never meet 
again, and I have always regretted that I did not 
know the names of the two men to whom I was so 
grateful. 

We went to the hotel for a night's rest and con- 
tinued our journey the next day. We took the 
cars and rode several hours to the terminus of the 
road, and there took a comfortable ambulance with 
four good mules for the rest of the journey. 



CHAPTER IV. 



I DO not remember much about Galveston, but the 
thing that made the greatest impression about the 
place was the fact that everything we owned was 
ruined there. The trunks and boxes had been left 
out in a three days' rain on the wharf. The Colonel 
had been obliged to push on with the troops, the lug- 
gage to come after. Somehow ours was left; who 
was to blame I never knew. It was not only our 
clothes, but the household linen, kitchen things, and 
indeed, as I have said before, everything. I especially 
grieved over a new gray silk gown that I had not 
worn, and a gray silk hat with pink roses, which had 
been the delight of my heart, but Caroline said : " Oh ! 
Missus, I never did think you looked so pretty in that 
thar hat, as you do in the one you 's wearin '. " I knew 
she said it to help comfort me and I cheered up a 
bit. 

The ride to Brenham was pleasant. It was the first 
of my long frontier rides. The command was in tents 
about a mile from the town. The Colonel, knowing 
I would not be able to live in that way, had hired, 
furnished, the half of a house occupied and owned by 

64 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



a gentleman and his wife, named Diller, from Penn- 
sylvania. For several days I had no cook. The 
Colonel got up in the morning, made the fire and 
put on the kettle with water, Caroline dressed the 
boys, set the table and went into the kitchen to assist. 
Fortunately, we never cared for a hearty breakfast; 
soon a pot of good coffee was made, bacon fried crisp, 
and eggs were boiled; the only thing not good was 
the bread, so I decided that I must make it. And 
here, for the first time, my lessons in cooking really 
came into service ; for even after I got a cook, I made 
the bread. The Colonel would carry the lamp, and 
he and I would go into the kitchen after the cook 
had gone home for the night ; I would set the sponge, 
or if it had been set, I would make out the rolls 
for breakfast and put them in the pan, and it was 
easy for Caroline to spread a little sweet milk over 
them in the morning (with a clean piece of linen; 
and put them in the oven. I always made enough to 
send a loaf or two up to the camp for the ladies and 
children. 

The life at Brenham was hard in every way ; mur- 
ders were committed constantly; the Colonel had 
charge of six counties, and there was scarcely a day 
that he was not called upon by the authorities of 
the town to send out men to arrest desperadoes. You 
may have some idea of the condition of things from 
5 65 



REMINISCENCES OF 



the following: One day I went on the porch to see 
where the lads were. I saw Jack lying flat on the 
ground with arms extended, and Dave with a long 
stick, aiming at him. I quickly called: "What are 
you doing?'' ''Oh, nothing," Jack replied; *'we are 
playing. I am a dead man; Dave has just shot me." 
I decided then and there that it was not the atmos- 
phere in which to bring up boys, and determined to 
take them as soon as possible to their grandparents. 

As I have said, the whole command was in tents. 
The poor ladies had a terrible time; many of them 
were delicately bred, and they had all of their own 
work to do, often washing and ironing. The lieu- 
tenants could not afford to pay house-rent for their 
families, and servants' wages were exorbitantly high, 
and there were very few to be had at any price, as 
most of the negroes had gone north. It was very 
lonely for me. The Colonel, being in command, left 
the house early in the morning, came back at about 
two o'clock for a hurried dinner, and returned to 
the post until after retreat. Often he was called out 
at night by the town authorities to quell some dis- 
turbance or arrest murderers. I was in a very delicate 
condition of health, and night after night when the 
Colonel would be obliged to go out I would get up, 
as I could not sleep, wrap a shawl round me and sit 
in a corner on the floor near the window, where I 

66 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



could watch if any one came in the gate. The windows 
had no shades nor outside shutters, only a thin muslin 
curtain ; there was nothing else to be had ; and I was 
dreadfully afraid lest some of those terrible creatures 
would come in to rob and kill us, knowing the Colonel 
was away. In consequence my nerves got into a 
frightful condition, but although I was ill, I kept 
up. The Colonel had so much to attend to, the con- 
dition of affairs being so dreadful, that I hated to 
add trouble to his mind about the real condition of 
my health. One of our officers. Captain Haller, who 
had been promoted from the ranks of a New York 
regiment for great gallantry in planting our colours 
twice, after they had been shot down, was brutally 
murdered, when he had gone out to make an arrest, 
and his body was not discovered for months after. 
The Colonel would often go out at night to make an 
arrest without taking a guard with him, so I was 
constantly anxious lest his life would be taken. 

We had some bright days, and then I would take 
the boys and go out to the camp for a walk, or would 
drive. The Colonel had gotten me a nice comfortable 
carriage from Galveston, and the afternoon drive 
with the children was the pleasantest time of the day. 
One afternoon when the carriage drove up I noticed 
a strange driver, and on inquiry found that my own 
man was not well. I did not like the looks or man- 

67 



REMINISCENCES OF 



ner of this man, but got in the carriage with the chil- 
dren and we were soon in the country. I must say for 
Texas that I have never seen in any State or Terri- 
tory such quantities of wild flowers of all colours 
and wonderfully beautiful; great fields of them as 
far as the eye could reach. There was an especially 
beautiful red flower which grew in great abundance. 
If memory serves me right it was called ''flag" or Iris. 
My little lads used to go almost crazy over these car- 
pets of lovely flowers when we went to gather them. 
The thousands of cattle we would see grazing were also 
interesting, and the sunsets were glorious with the 
gold and purple lights. The roads were good and, as 
I have said, it was a pleasure to drive. 

On the afternoon I mentioned we had gotten well 
out into the country when I saw our driver was so 
drunk he was in danger of falling from the carriage, 
and the horses were greatly excited. As soon as I 
realized our danger, I told the boys to lie flat on the 
bottom of the carriage, and notwithstanding the 
horses were now running, I succeeded in climbing 
through the window into the seat next the driver and 
took the reins from him. Although I could not stop 
the horses at once I guided them ; fortunately the road 
was broad, and there were but few teams on it. No 
one came to our rescue, but after the horses had run 
some distance we came to a cross road, into which I 

68 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



turned them, thinking it would take ns nearer home, 
which it did. Gradually the horses stopped running ; 
poor things, they were not vicious, only frightened 
and excited from the man pulling them. As soon as 
they heard my voice they quieted down but trembled 
all over with fear. When we got in sight of our cot- 
tage I saw the Colonel on the sidewalk talking with 
Captain Whitney. I drove up to the house and he 
took in the situation at once and took the horses' 
heads ; I remember no more about it for I had fainted, 
the relief being so great. Colonel carried me into the 
house, while the boys jumped from the bottom of the 
carriage and told what had happened. Captain Whit- 
ney took the horses to the stable to see that they had 
proper treatment, while the driver was sent to the 
guard-house to sober up and reap the consequences. 
I often wondered where I got the strength to guide 
the horses as I did. 

We made no friends or acquaintances at Brenham ; 
every one stood aloof from the ''Yankees," though 
they wanted us for their protection, and I think I may 
say that no life was safe at that time without the 
regular troops being in the vicinity. 

Our good friends the Dillers were exceptions. I 
shall never forget them, for I should not have lived 
had it not been for their kindness. We had no pleas- 
ure, except the afternoon drive when I was able to 

69 



REMINISCENCES OF 



go, my books had all been destroyed with the other 
things and there were none to be had in the town, 
so the days hung heavily. Soon, however, something 
occurred that demanded all of my time: poor Jack 
was poisoned by the poisonous oak that grew in 
abundance (as I learned later). The lad had begged 
to be allowed to go in his bare feet, as the other chil- 
dren did, and I, thinking it would be good for him, 
allowed it, with terrible result. As soon as we dis- 
covered the rash we sent for the army doctor, and 
later for the resident physician, thinking he might 
know more about the poisons in his own locality, but 
neither helped him ; the poison entered his whole sys- 
tem and he became so emaciated we carried him on a 
pillow for weeks. The treatment, too, seemed to me 
heroic and I fainted every day when the doctor came to 
dress the little feet, knowing what the child suffered. 
As the spring advanced the weather became hot and 
changeable; ofttimes I would put on a thin linen 
gown and go on the porch hoping to catch a breath 
of air, and suddenly the wind would rise without the 
least warning and would blow almost a cyclone and 
the thermometer would drop forty degrees. 

The nervous strain I was under, besides the trying 
climate, was fast telling on me, and the doctor insisted 
upon my going North, especially as the command was 
shortly to march to Fort Griffen, and although that 

70 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



was a more healthful place, he feared I would not 
stand the fatigue of the journey. After we decided 
it was best for the boys and me to go to my parents 
for the summer, it did not take long to get off. There 
were no household goods to be packed, only the few 
things we had saved from the destruction of our 
luggage. I think I was never so glad to leave any 
place; even the most remote frontier garrison I have 
ever been in held more attractions than Brenham at 
that time, but I am told it is now a delightful city; 
still, I have no wish to see it. The memory of all my 
mental and physical sufferings there can never be 
obliterated. The Colonel got a few days' leave and 
took us to Galveston, put us on the boat and in the 
captain's charge, who looked after us and kindly took 
us to the St. Charles Hotel, at New Orleans, where 
friends soon came to us, and where we remained for 
a few days ' visit ; the sea had been fairly smooth and 
none of us were seasick. We got a comfortable draw- 
ing-room on the cars and at Jackson, Mississippi, 
much to our surprise and delight some old friends 
got on the train. A funny little incident occurred 
just after we left New Orleans. When we reached 
Galveston I noticed that Dave had a little rash on 
his face, and sent for the doctor to examine him well 
as I feared he might be getting measles or chicken- 
pox. Unfortunately we spoke of it in the child's 

71 



REMINISCENCES OF 



presence. After carefully watching him the doctor 
decided that the rash was caused by eating sweets, 
so we kept on our journey. Soon after leaving New 
Orleans Dave climbed up, stood on the seat, and 
announced to the passengers: ''We think I am get- 
ting the measles, but maybe it is the chicken-pox." 
The gentleman sitting immediately in front of him 
jumped up and left the car, and the others were 
much alarmed. I begged Caroline to assure the peo- 
ple it was not so, but the rash on his face looked sus- 
picious and all gave us a wide berth, much to my 
amusement. 

We made the journey in a fairly comfortable way, 
I lying down most of the time, while my friends did 
everything possible for me. 

At Louisville, Kentucky, we stopped for a short rest 
at the Gait House. The dining-room was very beau- 
tiful, with large mirrors set in the walls, and fine 
chandeliers of cut glass, which made the room very 
brilliant when lighted. My little lads had never seen 
such a dazzling sight, and when we reached the din- 
ing-room door that evening, Dave, who was a mag- 
nificent looking child, gave a whoop of delight, ran 
down the center of the room, and stood on his head. 
I scarcely knew what to do, but the head waiter gave 
Jack and me seats and then went after Dave, who 
had already been captured and was being brought to 

72 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



me on the shoulder of a gentleman, to the amuse- 
ment of every one. 

"We finally reached Philadelphia in safety. My 
father was at that time stationed in Baltimore, but 
the weather was getting warm and he felt I needed 
a more bracing air and had taken a house in Dela- 
ware County, Pennsylvania, on high ground and near 
a most excellent physician, Doctor Garretson. 

For weeks after reaching my parents' home I was 
desperately ill, and really had no idea that I should 
live. The terrible climate of that little frontier town, 
and the anxieties and cares there endured by me, had 
undermined an excellent constitution; however, with 
watchful care and good nursing, I gradually, slowly 
but surely, got stronger, and experienced the great 
joy of having a daughter born to us the following 
autumn — E lien. 

The child, as may be imagined after all that I had 
gone through, was very fragile; and when but a few 
months old she became desperately ill with some 
enteric fever and we surely would have lost her had 
it not been for the devoted care and good nursing of 
her father, who was then "on leave." He allowed 
no one to do anything for her but himself. He had a 
sailor's hammock swung on the wide gallery that en- 
circled the house, and he kept her there day and night, 
always in the fresh air. He slept when she slept and, 

73 



REMINISCENCES OF 



indeed, scarcely left her unless she were sleeping, and 
the child was saved to us. 

When we were both stronger the Colonel took us to 
Long Branch, which was then the fashionable resort. 
The sea air soon made us both strong, and we greatly 
enjoyed our stay at the "West End," where we met 
some old friends, and made new ones. We were there 
a month. I then took the baby home and left her with 
the boys and nurse with my dear mother, while my 
husband and I went to Saratoga for the races, of which 
he was very fond, and although it was the first time in 
my life that I had seen races I enjoyed them greatly, 
and have always gone since when opportunity offered. 
The Colonel was very lucky that year in picking the 
winners; he had always had horses and was a good 
judge of them. 

On our return from Saratoga we stopped at the 
old "New York Hotel," corner of Broadway and 
Fourth Street, where we met many of our old friends 
from Natchez and New Orleans, Mr. John Minor and 
family being among the number; also Mr. Alfred 
Davis, whom the Colonel was delighted to see and I 
none the less pleased. What pleasure it was to talk 
over the delightful days spent in Natchez, and to go 
on little shopping excursions in the morning and 
drives to the park in the afternoon ! 

Generally, we went to the theatre or a concert at 

74 




LIEUTENANT JOHN I.AMRKNCE CHURCHILL, U.S.A. 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



night, our husbands usually leaving us at the hotel 
door on our return, while they went to the club. I 
remember one night the Colonel came in and I awak- 
ened and said: "Why, isn't it late?" ''A quarter 
of twelve," he answered. I pulled out my watch, 
looked at it and said: "Something has happened to 
my watch; it is three o'clock." I soon fell asleep, 
but the next day on going out I left the watch at the 
jewelry store to be repaired, and the following day 
asked the Colonel to stop for it and bring it to me. 
He was greatly surprised and asked why I took it 
there (the watch was comparatively new). "Don't you 
remember, ' ' I replied, ' ' it had stopped the other night 
when you came in? You said it was a quarter of 
twelve and my watch had stopped at three in the 
afternoon." The Colonel roared. "Well," he said, 
"three is a quarter of twelve, isn't it?" I saw the 
joke he had played on me, but I was even, as he had 
two dollars and a half to pay for repairs and cleaning 
the watch, which I must add never kept as good time 
afterward. 

I also had the pleasure at this time of visiting 
Lieutenant Churchill's family in New York and talk- 
ing with them about their brother and seeing a fine 
portrait of him. Mr. Churchill was a gentleman of 
the old school, dignified and courteous, with great 
charm of manner, and there was a strong resemblance 

75 



REMINISCENCES OF 



between father and son. I had a most delightful visit. 
I remember one evening we were dressed to go to a 
promenade concert. Miss Anna went into her father 's 
room at the last moment and took the glass shade from 
the gas, and forgetting a moment pushed back the 
bracket ; the lace curtains immediately took fire. The 
wood work was all of oiled walnut, and the ceiling 
was exquisitely frescoed in oils. The fire soon ex- 
tended and was frightful. The girls were terrified 
and begged me to tell the maids and men what to 
do. The engines and crowd were at the door insist- 
ing upon coming in, but we would not allow any one 
to enter. I pinned up my violet silk gown and we 
all worked harder than we ever had done in our 
lives. I never saw such willing service given by maids 
and men carrying buckets of water and fighting the 
flames. Finally we got the fire out and three more 
exhausted or frightened young women would have 
been hard to find; however, we recovered and went 
to the concert. The next day Mr. Churchill re- 
turned from his visit up the Hudson, where he had 
been visiting his daughter Mrs. Satterlee (the wife 
of the present Bishop of Washington) ; he went to 
his room and saw the ruin of what had before been 
so beautiful. While the girls were telling him about 
the fire, and regretting it, he stopped them and tak- 
ing them in his arms said, "This is nothing; let us 

76 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



be thankful your lives were saved and no one hurt." 
Of course he won my heart. Each day of my visit 
with Mr. Churchill's family I was impressed with the 
great calamity that had befallen not only them but 
society at large, in that the son of such a man had 
to give up his life, d^dng in the South of fever. True, 
he died while serving his country, but it has always 
seemed to me a terrible tragedy, knowing how those 
dear fellows lived, often in tents on low or marshy 
ground. It is sad to look back to those days and 
realise how many have passed beyond. 

We returned to my father's home for a few weeks. 
The time sped all too quickly; the Colonel's ''leave" 
was up ; he was to join his regiment, the Fir^ Cavalry 
(to which he had been transferred), at Benecia, Cali- 
fornia. 

I was to go to New York with him for a few last 
days and then to return to my parents. It was con- 
sidered best for him to go out alone, and find out 
just where he was to be stationed permanently, and 
get the quarters in order before I and the little fam- 
ily should join him. When we were on the boat cross- 
ing the ferry to New York a man came to the Colonel 
and asked to see his trunk checks. When they were 
shown he coolly said that my trunk had been knocked 
from the luggage-crate into the river; it had been re- 
covered but the grappling irons had broken it and 

77 



REMINISCENCES OF 



the top tray with contents had been lost. All of my 
jewelry (save the few rings and pin I had on) and 
my laces which the Colonel's mother had given me 
(and were priceless) were gone, and the balance of 
the things in the trunk, including the baby's layette, 
were ruined almost beyond repair as may be imagined, 
the trunk being broken open at the bottom of the river. 
Thus in a short time I had two great trials of 
patience. Perhaps I should say the railroad officials 
immediately offered me six hundred dollars which I 
took, as I was in no condition of health to bring suit 
for heavier damages, and the Colonel was joining his 
regiment without delay. 

I remained with my parents some months, growing 
stronger every day and better fitted for the frontier 
life that was before me. The Colonel staid but a few 
months at Benecia Barracks, California, and was 
then ordered to Camp Halleck, Nevada. Although 
the post was very isolated it was considered healthful, 
so again we packed our little belongings and started 
on our journey, which was then considered long and 
fatiguing, occupying seven days from New York to 
San Francisco. Our little daughter drank milk from 
a bottle, and the difficulty seemed to be, keeping the 
milk sweet for many hours. There were no dining- 
cars or cold storage in those days, only the primitive 
sleepers, which have been so greatly improved since. 

78 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



My mother went to a tinsmith and had a small refrig- 
erator made, about fifteen inches long, ten wide and 
eight high. It was complete; had handles and a 
double bottom, which fitted on the outside and caught 
the water that came from the piece of ice within. I 
may say right here that we never had any trou- 
ble ; we were able to get fresh milk where we got our 
meals, and never once did the milk become sour over 
night on our journey. I had secured a most excellent 
but very plain Irish nurse about thirty years old, 
who had charge of the baby. Her name was Bridget, 
and I shall no doubt allude to her often hereafter, as 
she was with me eight years or thereabout. 

We started from Philadelphia. My little lads were 
now quite self-reliant and hearty, and were no trou- 
ble whatever. Their lives had been so different from 
those of city children that they were quite interest- 
ing to our fellow-travellers. When we got off the 
train three times a day for our meals, some of the 
gentlemen would take them along by the hand, and 
at every stop of five minutes along the route they 
would be jumped off the train to have a good run ; so 
they kept well the entire journey. 



CHAPTER V. 



We reached Halleck station in the evening at about 
seven o 'clock. The Colonel met ns. Our luggage was 
soon put on an army wagon and we were comfortably 
settled in the ambulance drawn by four mules, when 
the Colonel said: "All set, Price." The mules started 
on a gallop, which considerably startled me, until the 
Colonel reassured me by telling me that the Pacific 
Coast mules always ran and did not trot, as the 
Eastern mules did. I suppose they, too, imbibed the 
spirit of the country at that date. 

The garrison was thirteen miles from the station, 
up in the foothills of the Humboldt Mountains. We 
were glad to reach the little home. The commanding 
officer's house being occupied, the Colonel took a 
smaller set of quarters; but they were quite com- 
fortable and better than I had had at either Macon 
or on my first arrival at Natchez ; they were built of 
adobe, with a hall in the center and two rooms on 
each side, each twelve feet square. Outside, the back 
porch had been enclosed, which we used for a dining- 
room; the kitchen was separate from the house, and 
we had an excellent Chinaman cook, named Joe. We 

80 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



also had a nice wide porch in the front of the house. 
The morning after our arrival I went on the porch 
to look at our surroundings. I found the mountains 
— great rugged peaks — around three sides of us; the 
country in front of us was a gradual descent to the 
station, and beyond high mountains rose in the dis- 
tance. Many times afterwards I stood on the porch 
and saw the trains passing thirteen miles distant, the 
atmosphere was so clear. 

The officers' quarters were well back, in a straight 
line against the foothills; facing the parade-ground, 
on the right, were the adjutant's office, the commis- 
sary and quartermaster's buildings; on the left were 
the long low quarters for the men; at the end, also 
facing the officers' quarters, were the stables, leaving 
a square for parade-ground of about five hundred 
feet. Running just by the side of our house was a 
most beautiful clear mountain stream. I could hear 
the sound of the water as it dashed over the stones 
from my window. Often the Colonel would take his 
rod and flies and catch a basket of delicious trout 
for our breakfast. Game of all kinds was to be found 
in the vicinity and after the Colonel's morning duties 
were over he would jump into his shooting clothes 
and go off, often walking twenty-five miles, and bring 
back from ten to fifty birds, ducks, grouse, quail, 
prairie-chickens and sage-hens ; he would always draw 
6 81 



REMINISCENCES OF 



the latter as soon as killed so there was no taste of 
sage left in the bird. He kept the garrison supplied 
with game, for he was the best shot in the Department 
and it always remained his pride to be so in every 
Department in which he was stationed. I often went 
shooting with him. We would take the boys and drive 
out to a stream and spend the day in the open. The 
Colonel would go off down the stream and the boys 
would take the seats from the ambulance and make 
us comfortable in the shade of the willows. By the 
time their lessons were said it would be noon. I 
would then make the coffee, the driver, Price, and the 
lads making the fire and bringing the water. Soon 
we would hear a shot and know the master was com- 
ing. He would broil some quail or a teal duck and we 
would have a luncheon fit for a king. I was never 
afraid of the Indians in this locality, they always 
seemed so peaceful and quiet, though troops were 
stationed at Camp Halleck for the protection of the 
settlers and the railroad. After our luncheon was 
over the Colonel would go off shooting down the other 
side of the stream ; we would follow slowly in the 
ambulance until he was ready to return. The birds 
would be taken from his pockets (much to the delight 
of the boys, who were fast becoming young sports- 
men), put on the floor of the ambulance, and home 
we would drive. It was at Camp Halleck I first 

82 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



learned to sew. I had to make all the clothes my 
children and I wore, besides the household linen. It 
was a very difficult task for me to make the little 
trousers that my lads now wore, especially putting in 
the pockets, and I tried very hard to buy them off, 
but they were never willing to give them up ; they 
would stand, one each side of me, helping to get 
them in right. 

As I have said, I was never afraid of these Indians. 
The Shoshones and Pah Utes often came into the 
house and brought skins, beaver and otter, also 
baskets and bead-work, for sale ; we always bought 
some little thing from them. I often wish now that 
I had some of the beautiful skins I then used for 
rugs. I think I have but two things left which we 
got there — one, a large Indian basket, used for thirty 
years and still as good as ever, and some old fur. 

I rode every day, and here it was that I came near 
having a bad accident, which I have already men- 
tioned. A man driving a drove of horses up from 
Texas stopped at the fort. He had some fine-looking 
horses, one a beautiful sorrel mare that I wanted very 
much. I mounted her, found she was well gaited, and 
seemed as gentle as a kitten; I rode her all around 
the garrison and the officers and ladies who rode came 
out to admire her. I was so pleased with her the 
Colonel bought her for me. For three days after the 

83 



REMINISCENCES OF 



purchase it rained, so all I could do was to go to the 
stable and see the pretty creature. When the sun 
came out, I sent for the mare to be saddled, but the 
sergeant in charge of the stables asked the Colonel's 
permission to go with us as he did not like the 
mare's actions. Colonel ordered his horse, and his 
orderly also to go with us. The horses were brought 
up and I gaily tripped down the steps and mounted. 
Fortunately for me, both the Colonel and sergeant 
stood by her head; she threw herself back on her 
haunches, standing almost straight, then plunging 
forward and then back, striking me with her head; 
the sergeant made a spring and caught her, but she 
broke away twice. The Colonel insisted upon my 
jumping off, but it was almost impossible. Several 
soldiers had run up to my rescue, and finally, after 
they got her head firmly, I jumped and the Colonel 
caught me. The trouble was, she had been over-fed in 
the stable; she had had no exercise, and during the 
long march from Texas she had had no grain what- 
ever. The next day I went down to the stable to see 
her, and perhaps take a ride; what was my conster- 
nation and vexation to find her gone. Colonel 
had sold her to a ranchman for almost nothing, 
fearing I might try again to ride her. The sergeant 
insisted she was crazy, a statement I never quite 
believed. 

84 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



One Fourth of July morning I went with a party 
of young officers and ladies to ride to the top of one 
of the mountains. We rode on a trail through a most 
beautiful canon. It was so silent and peaceful, there 
was not a sound to be heard but the ripple of the 
little stream as it came from the mountain; in some 
places the ascent was very steep, and the brush and 
young pines were constantly in our way; but we 
were all anxious to get to the top and see the view 
of the other valley. We had taken a good luncheon 
with us, which we ate about noon, when the horses 
were given a little feed that we had carried with us. 
After a short rest we started on again, the weather 
getting very cold, still we pushed on until, suddenly 
making a turn, we found we had reached the snow — 
and what a scene met our eyes ! The view extended 
for miles. All around us were huge granite moun- 
tains and great looming peaks that were covered with 
snow, while far as the eye could reach was the great 
sage-brush desert, a scene of silence and desolation. 
We were well rewarded for our climb, and would 
like to have gone further on, but the snow was so 
deep we found it to be impossible. One of the men 
put some of it in a feed bag for us to carry back with 
us, fearing our story might be doubted. 

We found the descent very difficult, the trail being 
very narrow, and it was harder to push aside the 

85 



REMINISCENCES OF 



brush going down than it had been in going up; 
besides, the precipice on our right seemed deeper and 
more threatening. Indeed, it was with a sigh of 
relief that we reached the desert valley again. 

And I doubt if any of us who are living have for- 
gotten the day, or the still picture we saw from the 
snow-clad mountain top. 

One evening, after dinner, Lieutenant Bacon came 
in hurriedly, saying the quartermaster sergeant had 
deserted, taking the money from the safe, and that 
he with a couple of men would have to go after him, 
as he had been seen going in the direction of Elko, 
the nearest town, thirty miles distant. The Colonel 
and other officers had gone to "Fort Winnemucca" 
for a few days on court-martial duty. Lieutenant 
Bacon asked if I would be afraid to remain in the 
camp without an officer. I was not, but told him he 
had better send Lieutenant Cresson's wife to stay 
with me, as she might be afraid, not having had any 
frontier experience. Off the men went, Mrs. Cresson 
and I getting our rifles ready, in case they should be 
needed, and which we knew how to handle ; for all the 
ladies in those days went out to target practice and 
were taught the use of firearms. 

We will not follow Lieutenant Bacon, but I will 
say, they caught the man, shots were exchanged, the 
sergeant was killed and the money regained after 

86 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



a very exciting night ride over the sage brush. This 
upset my household completely as Bridget, in spite of 
having no beauty, was engaged to be married to the 
sergeant. She had given him her savings — over three 
hundred dollars — and had told us nothing about it, 
as he had asked her not to mention it. Poor Bridget ! 
I think she grieved after the rascally sergeant much 
more than she did for her money. 

We had some pleasant people at this post: Col. 
Ned Baker, son of the gallant General Baker of 
Oregon, and his charming wife from Tennessee; he 
was one of the most generous, big-hearted men I ever 
knew ; everyone was fond of him, and his death, some 
years later, was universally regretted ; Captain Thomp- 
son and wife. Captain Stacy and family, and Lieuten- 
ant Palmer Wood and his pretty wife and cherub 
children. Most of the girls grew to be beautiful 
women and married in the army; two of them have 
died, and the two young sons, who were gallant and 
brave, gave up their lives in the service of their 
country. One died in Cuba and the other was killed 
in the Philippines. Years after we left Halleck I 
met Captain and Mrs. Wood with great pleasure in 
Arizona. She was still very beautiful, and the great 
grief that was to come upon her had not yet entered 
her life. 

We often had visits from the officers stationed in 

87 



REMINISCENCES OF 



San Francisco ; they would come on duty of one kind 
or another. It was always a delight to us to see them, 
as they brought us news from the outside world. 

I remember a visit from General French, of the 
artillery, who was in command at the ''Presidio." 
He was a most gallant officer and had commanded a 
corps in the Army of the Potomac during the war. 
He was also a charming talker, and I have been told 
that after the war was over no dinner in Washington 
was complete without him. He, too, died many years 
ago. We also had a visit from Colonel Ramsey, 
another delightful man with a fine war record. 
Afterward when he was stationed in Washington he 
was said to be President Arthur's double. General 
Willcox, Major Thornberg (who was afterwards killed 
at the hand of the Utes), Major Throckmorton, Lieu- 
tenant Schenck, and many others visited us, and last, 
but not least, came that great soldier General Scho- 
field. Of course he came on duty, but my pride was 
very great at having him as a guest at our little house. 
The Colonel had served a long time under his com- 
mand during the war and knew him well, but, 
although I had never met him, he soon seemed like 
an old friend. His manner was simple, and in the 
pleasure of talking with him I completely forgot our 
ugly little room of twelve feet square with its white- 
washed walls and ugly reddish paint. It seemed to 

88 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



me while in the army, that the quartermasters were 
always using up scraps of paint; no two rooms were 
alike and each one uglier than the other. It was only 
a few months after the visit of the General that his 
friendship for us was proven, for through his great 
kindness in sending a special doctor to me my life 
was saved. 

Had it not been for these occasional visits, life 
would have been very dreary. Camp Halleck was but 
a two-company post; there was nothing, but an occa- 
sional ride over the sage-brush plains, to relieve 
the monotony of our life ; had it not been for my chil- 
dren, my two boys in particular, who were hearty and 
thoroughly alive mentally and physically, I think I 
would have despaired. No one who has not lived an 
isolated life can appreciate what it is for a woman. 
The men had more interest in their lives, for when 
not scouting they had their "companies" to look 
after, and when the morning duties were over they 
could swing a gun over their shoulders and go hunt- 
ing, which is the greatest pleasure a man knows. We 
had been at Halleck about one year when the Colonel 
was ordered to San Francisco as a member of a court- 
martial ; we left the children with Bridget, Dr. Pattey 
promising to call on the little family every morning 
and telegraph me their condition. Halleck was about 
^Ye hundred miles from San Francisco. I had never 

89 



REMINISCENCES OF 



seen the Sierras and was greatly impressed with their 
grandeur and beauty. When we were within a few 
hours of the city we had an accident and were obliged 
to wait at a small station where there was a bear 
chained; we fed him and roamed about the place 
watching for the train that had been telegraphed 
for. During this time I had observed a little girl 
about three years old, who ate everything within 
reach and many more peanuts than the bear. Finally 
1 ventured to speak to the mother about it, who told 
me, in a manner that plainly said that it was not my 
affair, that they would not hurt her. At about eight 
o'clock in the evening the train came. We were soon 
aboard and ready to move. There were no sleepers. 
We were all very tired, and most of us asleep, when I 
heard a frightful scream. On jumping up I found 
the little girl who had eaten the peanuts in a fright- 
ful fit and the mother helpless. I seized the child and 
ran to the back platform for air, loosened her clothes 
and bathed her face. A gentleman passenger brought 
some homeopathic pills, which we got into the child's 
mouth. It was a terrible sight to me, who loved 
children so dearly; but by and by she fell quietly 
asleep ; and we all settled down again to get a nap 
before reaching the city. But there was no sleep for 
me ; the excitement and thinking of my own little ones 
at the home in the mountains kept me wide awake. 

90 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



We reached the city at about 10 p.m. and drove to 
the Lick House, very tired; but a good night's rest 
found us well and ready to go out in the morning. 
The city, with its high hills, "Telegraph," "Rincon," 
and "Russian," seemed to form a background for 
the bay ; there is also a gradual rise in all the streets 
back from the bay. To me it was most picturesque, 
for from the top of many of the hilly streets could 
be seen this most beautiful sheet of water; the har- 
bor of Rio Janeiro being the only one in the world 
that can eclipse it. 

We wandered about all the morning seeing many 
points of interest ; after luncheon many of the officers 
and their wives came to visit us, also an old friend of 
the Colonel's, Major Kettletas, whom he had not seen 
since the war, when they had served together in the 
Fifteenth Infantry. This officer belonged to one of 
the old wealthy families of New York, and at the 
breaking out of the war, went in the army, served 
with distinction and added new laurels to his family 
name ; he was brevetted for his gallant services at the 
battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, and Mission Ridge, 
Tennessee. When peace was declared he resigned and 
was travelling on the Pacific Coast when we met him. 
He was greatly pleased to see Jim again and gave us 
all a dinner at "The Poodle Dog," a famous res- 
taurant, which had been established in the "early 

91 



REMINISCENCES OF 



days " by a Frencliman^ and called ' ' Le Poulet d 'or, ' ' 
but which had been perverted into ' ' The Poodle Dog. ' ' 
Another delightful invitation was to dine with Gen- 
eral French and wife and go to a dance afterward 
given to us by the officers of the Presidio. The ball- 
room was dressed with flags and lighted by innumer- 
able wax candles stuck on bayonets, which were 
stacked about the room. It was a beautiful sight, 
and the music being fine I enjoyed every moment. 
I shall never forget the first time I saw the Presidio. 
I thought I had gotten into Fairyland. The helio- 
trope grew in such profusion, into great trees, and 
the fuchsias, that we thought so fine at home when 
we had a plant three feet high, grew up to the second- 
story windows and beyond. Roses were in abundance 
everywhere, and full of bloom. The quarters were all 
excellent, and there was a most beautiful view of the 
bay, the islands Alcatraz, Angel, and Yerba Buena, 
and the Golden Gate. What a garden spot it was for 
everyone, and especially for children! My enthu- 
siasm knew no bounds, and I greatly regretted that 
my cavalryman was not in the artillery. 

One of the delightful days was spent in going on 
the steamer " McPherson" to Angel Island, on a 
picnic given by Mrs. Schofield. It was a most beau- 
tiful spot and well deserved its name. The sail from 
the city and back again, with a number of charming 

92 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



people, was one of the days of my life to be remem- 
bered — in fact, each day of the ten spent in this beau- 
tiful city stands out in my life in delightful memory. 

We returned to Halleck and found the children well 
and happy. The little Ellen had learned to talk in 
our absence. I always believed she knew how before, 
but, as every wish was anticipated (she was watched 
so closely), she felt it unnecessary; but when we 
left she began to talk to her nurse. 

The life at Halleck after our return was much the 
same as before, except that Colonel Baker was ordered 
away and later we moved into the house they had 
occupied. Here we were much more comfortable, 
having three large rooms down stairs and two bed- 
rooms above ; we had not much furniture, the family 
being of good size, (and the allowance of luggage 
small) ; the Colonel allowed me and the other ladies, 
each, to have a new iron bedstead from the hospital, in 
case of a guest coming; otherwise they would have 
had to sleep there. These bedsteads were kept stored 
in case they should be needed. After we were settled 
in our new quarters the Colonel heard that the In- 
spector General of the Department was coming, so I 
had the guest room fixed up a little bit. Whatever 
could be spared from the other rooms was taken in 
there, fresh muslin curtains were put at the windows, 
and the canopy I had fixed over the bed covered up the 

93 



REMINISCENCES OF 



ugly black iron. We had no springs for the bed, but 
had sacks filled with fresh, sweet hay put under the 
mattress; it made a comfortable bed, and the room 
looked very pretty. The Inspector General arrived, 
and we were glad to see him. He was a charming 
man socially, was a fine soldier, with a splendid 
war record, which was considered everything in those 
days; there was not a better officer in his corps; he 
was very strict, and almost every post commander 
dreaded his arrival. The troops and quartermaster's 
department were inspected, fortunately, the first day ; 
the second day they went to the hospital, which was 
found in excellent condition, but three new iron bed- 
steads were missing. The Colonel fully explained 
their absence; the General listened attentively and 
then said, ' ' They must be returned immediately ; that 
the Government did not supply beds from the hospital 
for the use of officers," etc. The bedsteads were at 
once sent for. Bridget came to me in great distress 
to know where the Inspector General would sleep? 
''Make his bed on the floor with the sacks of hay," I 
replied; ''there is no other place." Of course the 
Colonel thought (if he had time to think of it that 
day), that I would find some way out of the difficulty, 
as I usually did when troubles arose. The next morn- 
ing after the Inspector General's departure the Col- 
onel, in passing the room, saw the bed on the floor 

94 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



and asked what it meant. He was greatly mortified 
when he learned the Inspector General had slept on 
the floor, but I thought it just as well for him to 
realize some of the privations the officers and their 
families endured who lived on the frontier. Unfor- 
tunately the matter got out, as such things do, and 
was heartily enjoyed at other frontier posts, but it 
never made any change in our friendship with Gen- 
eral Jones, showing he was really a big man. Many 
years later an officer was presented to me; I bowed, 
but he put out his hand and said, "I must shake 
hands with the woman who had the courage to put the 
dignified Colonel Jones on the floor to sleep." 

Not long after this, when we had been at Camp 
Halleck about eighteen months, I became very ill; 
our post surgeon did everything he could for me; 
but, as usual in those days, there were no surgical 
instruments at the place, and no nurses to be had. 
When Dr. Brierly found himself helpless he tele- 
graphed to General Schofield telling him the condi- 
tions and asking that another surgeon be sent as soon 
as possible. I continued to grow weaker and weaker. 
The third day after the telegram had been sent the 
Colonel received a dispatch, saying the new doctor 
would arrive that evening and to send a horse to the 
station for him. But it seemed to be too late; there 
was no hope left; I had taken the last communion, 

95 



REMINISCENCES OF 



bade my loved ones good-bye and awaited the end. 
"While hovering between life and death I had a won- 
derful vision; slowly a beautiful form descended; 
the face was divine, like the face of the beloved dis- 
ciple Saint John. The arms were extended, the flow- 
ing robe was of the beautiful blue seen in old pictures ; 
it came lower and lower and seemed to say to me, 
''AH is well!" I had no power to utter a sound nor 
to raise my hand. 

While waiting for the end, the doctor from San 
Francisco arrived. He had ridden at a hard gallop 
the thirteen miles when he learned how desperately 
ill I was, and to this day he carries the scar of a 
wound made by a buckle in the saddle, which he 
would not stop one moment to properly adjust. Such 
was his idea of duty; he had never seen, probably 
never heard of, either the Colonel or myself. The 
sound of his voice as he entered the room seemed to 
arouse me, and some little time after giving me a 
stimulant there was a slight pulse, and later I was 
brought back to life — but had lost my child. It was 
some time before I was able to recognise anyone, but 
I well remember the morning when my soul seemed to 
have come back to me and I opened my eyes and 
found standing beside my bed a stalwart man, with 
tawny hair and beard, the picture of health and 
strength. No wonder I came back from the valley 

96 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



and shadow of Death. He had given me of his 
strength and compelled me to live. The masterful 
expression was in his face and I knew I would get 
well, and quietly whispered it to my husband, who 
sat beside me. 

It was three months before I was able to sit up in 
bed. The doctor rarely left my bedside, as I required 
constant watching; but one lovely day I seemed so 
much better it was thought he could go and have a 
few hours' shooting. He was a fine hunter and a 
good shot — in fact, I have since heard that there never 
was a better sportsman than Dr. George Chismore, 
and for some little time after this he had a few hours ' 
good shooting every day; but one day he had been 
gone but a few hours, when a change for the worse 
came; the orderly rode as fast as possible in the 
direction the doctor had taken, and in a little while 
both returned ; I was again seriously ill. It was then 
decided that if my life was to be saved I would have 
to be taken to the level of the sea ; that I could not get 
well at that altitude. The household things were 
packed and my husband went first, taking the boys, 
and got our rooms at the Occidental Hotel. As soon 
as General Schofield learned the conditions he applied 
to the War Department to have the Colonel detailed 
for duty on his staff, so that he might remain near me 
until the end, for no one thought I would live. The 
7 97 



REMINISCENCES OF 



doctor, Bridget, the little Ellen and I followed. I 
was carried out of the house on a mattress ; it seemed 
as though I was being carried to my grave; and the 
doctor, seeing a sad expression come over my face, 
interpreted it at once and said: "We have not got 
your feet first." Six soldiers carried my mattress 
and put me in a light spring wagon, covered me up 
well, and we started, the soldiers going with us. We 
rode slowly over the sage-brush plains, the odour of 
which always brings back the memory of the funereal 
ride; and I never pass Halleck station without going 
on the platform of the car to see the spot where I 
spent the fearful night, and which is now, in the 
imagination of my loved ones, builded into a shrine. 
It was bitterly cold, and the doctor was afraid I 
would die before he could get me to the sea. It was 
my one chance to live, and yet I might not be able to 
pass the summit of the mountain on our way to the 
much-desired haven; but I was willing to risk the 
journey for the one chance offered. In the morning 
the soldiers carried me again on the mattress into the 
drawing-room of a Pullman car that had been en- 
gaged. 

The day passed without change. The summit was 
passed in the night while I slept, the doctor and nurse 
watching. There was quite a little rejoicing in the 
car; the people seemed glad that I had safely passed 

98 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



the Rubicon; and I had many sweet smiles from the 
passengers as they passed my door. I have often 
thought since how proud the doctor must have been 
that he had taken the responsibility and decided it 
was best to take the one chance that journey gave me. 

Years after I was walking on Kearney Street, San 
Francisco, when a man approached and addressed 
me, saying : ' ' I never expected to see you alive again ; 
I am one of the men who carried you to the Halleck 
station when you were so ill. It was a sad day for 
us all; the boys all turned out of their quarters to 
see you go by and felt pretty badly." I had always 
taken great interest in the troop. I often went down 
and showed the cook how to prepare something nice 
for the men; they had a fine garden and raised all 
kinds of vegetables — in fact, one year they made 
$1200 from their potatoes, which ga^^e them a large 
company fund. They had a nice mess kit and took 
pleasure in having everything nice; they also raised 
pigs, and I remember showing the cook how to make 
scrapple — a Pennsylvania dish — much to the men's 
delight, and often I would divide with them the 
boxes of fruit that were sent me from the city. 

One day after we had been in San Francisco a 
short time, our doctor thought he would take the boys 
out for a walk and show them the shops and parks 
and other places of interest. It was all new to them ; 

99 



REMINISCENCES OF 



they knew nothing but a frontier garrison; the little 
while we were at home with my parents they had been 
in the country; so the city was a revelation to them. 
The men at the street corners with the candy-and-nut 
stands were all there for them (in their minds) and 
they insisted upon helping themselves ; the doctor had 
his hands full that afternoon, and I do not remember 
his inviting them again. 

I began to get better from the time we reached the 
city, but it was two months before I was taken out 
for a drive ; when I was convalescent the Modoc War 
broke out; and as the troop was going the Colonel 
applied to go also. He had been temporarily on Gen- 
eral Schofield's staff during my illness. It was fully 
expected the trouble would be settled by the Peace 
Commissioners and the Colonel, thinking the troops 
would go no further than Fort Bidwell, California, 
and as I was far from strong, he decided to take Dave 
with him. He got the child, who was now nearly six 
years old, a suit of heavy corduroy and had it re- 
enforced with buckskin for riding; also some warm 
underclothing and heavy shoes, in case they should 
be needed. They went by rail to Elko, Nevada, and 
there met the troops, and the Colonel got Dave a 
good pony. The boys, fortunately, had been taught 
to ride from the time they were four years old, though 
they were never allowed saddles or stirrups. 

100 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Fort Bidwell was beautifully situated, surrounded 
by mountains. At the top of the highest there was 
a large lake, covering fully fifty acres, and from this 
point could be seen thirty- two other lakes. Chief 
Ocheo lived there with about one hundred braves, 
and Captain Jack, the Modoc chief at the time of the 
war, tried his best to persuade Ocheo to join him 
against the whites; but Ocheo was loyal and would 
not join him. This chief still lives; he is old and 
blind. Where the fort stood — which is no longer 
needed — stands an Indian school, and the boys of this 
school have built poor old Ocheo a small house. The 
Government grants him a trifling pension, but it is 
not sufficient to keep this loyal old chief from want. 

Soon after the Colonel and troops reached Bidwell, 
they received orders to push on, as the Peace Com- 
missioners were not able to adjust the difficulty. It 
took twelve days, through heavy snow, to reach the 
lava beds. Three men were frozen so badly they 
died. Dave rode his pony day after day, just as the 
soldiers did, and stood the journey well. After reach- 
ing the lava beds he and General Canby became great 
friends. Every day the child went to the hospital to 
visit the sick and wounded, and went to the funeral 
of every soldier who succumbed. The soldiers adored 
him. 

One day he and a little Indian boy (about seven- 

101 



Rt^MINlSCENCES OF 



years old, who belonged to the troop, having been 
captured from the Apaches when an infant) went 
fishing in Tule Lake, quite near the camp. Some 
Indians fired at them from the lava beds. The Indian 
boy ran, but, notwithstanding the men called Dave 
he coolly strung his fish before leaving; the men 
wanted to run get him, but the Colonel would not 
allow them to expose themselves, knowing it would 
bring down a heavier fire. The Colonel had seen 
General Canby killed. While the Peace Commis- 
sioners were in session the General was sent for. He 
went out of the tent, when two Indians approached 
and attacked him. Perhaps I can not do better than 
give General Gillem's report, who was commanding 
the expedition. He says : 

" Lava Beds, Cal., April 20, 1873. 
" On the morning of the 11th General Canby, with Messrs. 
Meacham, Thomas, and Dyer, members of the Peace Commis- 
sion, met the Modoc Indians at a tent pitched about one mile 
in advance of my camp, at the south end of Tule Lake. The 
tent was in what is known as the " lava beds." As sus- 
picions of treachery existed, I directed Lieutenant Adams, 
First Cavalry, chief signal officer, to keep a constant watch 
on the tent and give me notice of any suspicious movements 
in its vicinity. The General and members of the commis- 
sion went out at about 1 1 : 06 a.m. At one o'clock I received 
a message from Major Mason, Twenty-first Infantry, com- 
manding the camp on the east side of the lake, informing me 
that his pickets had been attacked, and that Lieutenant 

102 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Walter Sherwood, Twenty-first Infantry, had been wounded 
mortally. This confirmed the worst fears of treachery. To 
notify General Canby of his danger was the first object to 
be attained, as any movement of troops from the camp would 
have been in full view of the Indians at the tent. I knew to 
make an advance would but hasten the attack of the Indians. 
Acting Assistant Surgeon Cabeniss volunteered to take a 
message to the General. As many of the Modocs speak Eng- 
lish, I had to write. I had written but a line when the signal 
officer notified me that the Indians were shooting the General 
and his party. The time elapsing between the attack on 
Mason's pickets and the attack on General Canby and the 
Peace Commissioners did not exceed ten minutes, showing con- 
clusively that the action of the Indians was premeditated and 
preconcerted. The troops in the camp south of the lake at once 
sprang to their arms and advanced as rapidly as possible to 
the scene of the tragedy, but the Indians had fled. General 
Canby and Rev. Mr. Thomas were dead when we reached them; 
Mr. Meacham was supposed to be mortally wounded, but, I 
am gratified to state, is rapidly improving, with every prob- 
ability of an early recovery. 

" The party which attacked Major Mason's pickets advanced 
under a white flag and asked for the commanding officer ; when 
asked if they wanted to " talk," they replied " No." Lieuten- 
ant Sherwood, the officer of the day, then told them they could 
return to their camp, and he would return to his; turning to 
go, the parties being about thirty yards from each other, the 
Indians opened fire, shooting Lieutenant Sherwood through the 
arm, and soon afterwards through the thigh, inflicting what 
proved to be a fatal wound. Lieutenant Boyle, who was with 
the officer of the day, escaped unhurt; the picket at once 
opened fire and the Indians fled " 

103 



REMINISCENCES OF 



This war was one of the hardest Indian campaigns 
our army has known. There were more officers and 
soldiers killed for the number of Indians and our 
men engaged than any other fight. The Indians being 
intrenched in the lava beds, it was impossible to 
reach them, while they would take off their clothing, 
lie flat on the rocks, pick out and fire at every soldier 
who left his tent; the Indians being the same color 
of the rocks, it was impossible to see them. My little 
son completely wore out the clothes he took with him, 
and the Indian scouts made him a complete suit of 
buckskin, in which he returned. 

While the Colonel was in the lava beds he received 
his promotion to Major of the Sixth Cavalry, but 
General Canby had requested him to remain. After 
being there four months and peace being restored, 
he returned to San Francisco, en route to join his 
new regiment, and to get me and the children. I was 
rapidly getting well and strong, notwithstanding the 
great anxiety of mind. My doctor had been ordered 
on duty north soon after the Colonel left (and right 
here I will say that he soon afterward resigned from 
the army, and, establishing himself in San Francisco, 
rose to the head of his profession). 

I left this unique city with many regrets. For 
two months after my husband's departure, I was 
almost a helpless invalid; but my room was kept 

104 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



bright with flowers and the cheerful visits of friends, 
both army and civilians, who tried to divert my 
mind from the terrible Indian war. The remains of 
the young officers killed were brought home and the 
sad processions out to "Lone Mountain" were to me 
heart-rending ; and I have always thought it hard that 
the 3xpense of bringing the bodies of these gallant 
fellows home had to be borne by their young wives, 
who could not think of leaving them to be buried 
where they fell, perhaps to be mutilated later by these 
wretched Indians. Of course. General Canby's body 
was taken home by the Government, and his remains 
were honored by this city (San Francisco) on the way 
East. Shops were closed, no business done, and the 
citizens turned out en masse to f orm\ an escort ; it was 
a sad day for every one. 

I cannot leave this dear city by the Golden Gate 
without speaking of the General commanding the 
Department. He was most considerate in sending me 
the war news every day, and I have never forgotten 
his great kindness during the seven months of my 
illness. He was equally thoughtful of the wives and 
families of the officers who were in the lava beds 
fighting, and I doubt if any commanding officer was 
ever more beloved than General Schofield at that 
time. 



CHAPTER VI. 



We arrived at Fort Riley, Kansas, after an un- 
eventful ride across the alkali plains. I was heartily 
glad to go immediately into our own quarters; our 
furniture having been sent on from Fort Halleek 
before we left San Francisco. We got women to 
clean the quarters selected, and were rapidly getting 
settled, when the Colonel got a telegram ordering 
him to Leavenworth, the headquarters of the Depart- 
ment. On his arriving there. General Pope told him 
that he was to go to Fort Lyon, Colorado, in command 
of the post. Our things were all to be repacked and 
many of our steps retraced ; the fatigue of the family 
and extra expense were things not counted. I needed 
a cook and housemaid, and knowing there were none 
to be had on the plains went to Junction City, close 
by, to look for them, going in all the shops and offer- 
ing, at that date, very high wages, but could hear 
of no one ; finally I decided to go and see the Catholic 
priest, as I knew he would be acquainted with all the 
young women in his parish. He received me kindly 
and took an interest in the matter, and when we left 
I took with me a young Irish girl named Mary 

lOG 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Broderick, whose brother was a farmer, and she had 
lived with him and his wife. The priest afterward 
sent me another excellent young woman named Sarah 
McDermott, Mary's cousin. 

The journey to Fort Lyon was full of interest. We 
went by the Atchison and Topeka Railway, which was 
then new. There had been heavy rains and floods, 
and we travelled slowly, seeing countless antelopes 
and buffaloes. The train actually stopped while 
some English and American tourists shot a few of 
them; it was most exciting. Dodge City was then 
the terminus of the road, a terrible little frontier town. 
On arriving we went to the hotel to remain over night. 
It was a wooden building, without paint or wash of 
any kind, with two front doors, one leading into a 
saloon, the other into a parlor. There was a yellow- 
ish green ingrain carpet on the floor, a "suit" of 
furniture covered with majenta plush with yellow 
figures in it, coarse Nottingham lace curtains at the 
window^s and some vivid chromos on the walls. The 
children, maids and I entered this room, while the 
Colonel went in search of the host. He soon returned 
and with him a woman with a hard face, fully six 
feet tall and of very large frame. She was dressed 
in a "bloomer" costume — full blue trousers drawn 
in at the ankle, and a long blue sacque reaching nearly 
to the knee; a knife and pistol were in her belt. 

107 



REMINISCENCES OF 



While she talked to me Dave got up in the middle of 
the room and, pointing at her, laughed aloud and 
said: "Look at her, Jack; isn't she funny? Look 
at the knife. Jack." I was terrified lest she would 
kill him, but she quietly turned to him and said: 
"Come with me and get some cake and milk." I 
was afraid to let him go, but his father had nodded 
consent, and away he went. Poor Jack, who had 
not laughed at her audibly, was not invited. 

After supper, which was not bad (but the first time 
I had eaten buffalo meat), we went to our rooms, 
in the second story of the house, reached by narrow 
open steps. There was one big room divided two- 
thirds of the way up into smaller rooms by white 
heavy muslin stretched across, all open at the top. 
There was a wooden bedstead, chair and small table 
with pitcher and basin on it in each room; the latter 
was about 6 x 10 feet. The children, maids and I 
went to bed, for we were tired; the Colonel came 
later, as there were many soldiers around and he 
wanted to keep his eye on the man who was to drive 
us the next day to Fort Lyon. 

Fort Dodge was about five miles distant, and the 
soldiers on pass came to the town, drank villanous 
whiskey which these saloons kept, and after a drink 
or two the men would be crazy drunk, their clothes 
and everything they had with them stolen, and when 

108 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



the saloon-keepers had gotten all they possessed they 
were thrown out into the streets. This was before 
the days of the canteen, which remedied everything 
for the time; but the liquor dealers were too strong 
for the law-makers, and the canteen, where no whis- 
key was sold, had to go, so the conditions are about 
the same as before; there is always a grog-shop on 
the outskirts of every garrison. 

About midnight we were all awakened by pistol 
shots. The Colonel was in his clothes and downstairs 
in a minute. There was a genuine fight on hand, 
pistols and knives being used. The floor of our rooms 
and the ceiling of the saloon was but one board thick, 
so we heard it all and feared some of the shots might 
reach us. The Colonel returned after a time, when 
all was quiet, but there was not much sleep to be had, 
and I was heartily glad to have an early breakfast 
and shake the dust of Dodge City from my feet. I 
am told it is now a flourishing city. 

We had a comfortable ambulance, four mules, and 
a good driver. The Colonel sat in front with the 
driver, to be on the lookout ; we had no escort, except- 
ing the few men on the baggage-waggons ; the Indians 
just at this time were considered peaceful. The ride 
was most interesting. We saw great herds of 
buffaloes, antelopes, and much small game, which the 
Colonel occasionally shot for our meals. Once when 

109 



REMINISCENCES OF 



we were about to ford the stream we waited for some 
buffaloes to cross, but when our driver found it was an 
unusually large herd and our mules very restive we 
drove a mile or two along the bank and made a 
crossing. We could see across these plains for many, 
many miles, owing to the condition of the atmosphere. 
The country was entirely different from the sage- 
brush plains of Nevada, and the mountains were far 
in the distance, but nothing can be more monotonous 
and drear than the aspect of these prairies; nothing 
meets the eye but the expanse of arid waste, not a 
tree or shrub to be seen except on the little streams 
where the cottonwood grows. Shortly before arriving 
at the post, a young cavalry officer rode up and, dis- 
mounting, introduced himself to the Colonel (who 
had gotten down from the ambulance) as Lieutenant 
George S. Anderson, Sixth Cavalry. Although he had 
never before met us, he had ridden out about fifteen 
miles to welcome us to Fort Lyon, and to offer us the 
use of his quarters until we could get ours in order. 
It pleases me to think that the friendship begun that 
day, on the desolate Western prairie, has never been 
broken. 

Fort Lyon was an ideal post. There were four 
companies of Third Infantry and two troops of the 
Sixth Cavalry; Captain Eafferty (long since dead) 
and Lieutenants Perrine and Anderson; Lieutenant 

110 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Wallace was in command of his troop, the captain 
being away on other duty; Colonel J. Ford Kent, 
Captain Stouch, Lieutenant Hanna, and many others. 
There were also many ladies — Mrs. Page, a charming 
woman, wife of Captain John H. Page ; Mrs. Happer- 
sett, the life almost of the garrison, wife of the sur- 
geon; Mrs. Wallace and dear little George, Mrs. 
Stouch, Mrs. Hanna and Daisy, the family of chap- 
lain, Mrs. Latourette, and others. 

The commanding officer's quarters were better than 
any we had ever had. It was an adobe house with a 
wide porch ; there were two rooms, sixteen feet square, 
on each side of a wide hall ; kitchen and pantry in the 
back; also four very good rooms on the second floor. 
We had sent East for carpets, curtains and other 
necessary things. There were fine wardrobes and 
drawers built in the bedrooms and a sideboard in the 
dining-room, besides some tables, bedsteads — rather 
rough, to be sure; but with some coats of paint and 
canopies of white muslin over the bedsteads and dress- 
ing-tables, clean white curtains at the windows, the 
rooms were soon made to look dainty and pretty. 

An amusing incident occurred soon after our arri- 
val. On unpacking the clock, I found it would not 
go. Lieutenant Anderson, being present, suggested 
sending it to the doctor, who loved to set clocks to 
rights. That afternoon I told Jack to take the clock 

111 



REMINISCENCES OF 



to Dr. Davis and ask him if he would kindly see 
what was the matter with it? The Doctor had joined 
the regiment a few days before ourselves and it was 
his first experience as an army surgeon. Many of his 
friends had teased him about going in the service and 
told him he would be called upon to attend the pet 
cats and dogs, but none had mentioned that he would 
have to doctor the clocks; however, he took a look 
at it and found a small stick had been put across to 
keep the pendulum from moving. Taking this out, 
the clock went all right, later he sent it in to me ; the 
Colonel was present when the man brought it in and 
asked where it had been? He was horrified when he 
learned to whom I had sent it. Lieutenant Anderson 
had meant me to send it to Lieutenant Perrine, who 
was always called "Doctor" at West Point, and the 
name had clung to him ; of course, the Colonel apolo- 
gised to the young doctor. 

One day several of us were sitting by the big open 
wood fire, and the dogs, ' ' Beauty, ' ' a fine Irish setter, 
and "Don," a pointer, lay on the hearth enjoying 
the fire also, when they heard their master's voice 
outside; in an instant "Beauty" made a bound, and 
seeing the door shut she went through the lace curtain 
and pane of glass, and "Don" followed after her, 
going through the same hole. Neither of them was 
hurt; the curtain dragged after them and protected 

112 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



them from the broken glass. They evidently thought 
the Colonel was going hunting without them, as they 
had watched him clean his gun in the early morning. 
Dogs that live closely with a family as ours did 
become very human, and know all that is talked about, 
especially anything that concerns them. 

The first summer we were at Fort Lyon was a very 
gay one. My niece, Kate Caldwell, came to spend 
the summer with us. General and Mrs. Perrine, Mrs. 
Bell and dear little Annie came to visit Lieutenant 
Perrine. Mrs. Page had her sister-in-law, Mrs. Tracy, 
and pretty little Sophie Sloane, just budding into 
womanhood. Mr. Hodding and Mr. Clutton, English- 
men, who- had a ranch on the Cimarron, near Pueblo, 
were visiting Dr. Happersett, and Mr. William Fan- 
shawe, of New York, who also had a ranch on the 
Cimarron, was visiting us. The girls enjoyed every 
moment thoroughly. There were horseback rides, 
and drives, dances, card parties, charades, and every 
kind of entertainment that we all could devise. The 
weather was perfect and there was nothing to disturb 
our pleasure ; in fact, dear old General Perrine said 
it was nearer Arcadia than he had ever expected to see. 

One day Jack came and told me that a Roman 

Catholic priest was on the porch and would like to 

see me. I immediately went to the door, and there 

was Father Darasch from Junction City ; he had come 

8 113 



REMINISCENCES OF 



all the way to look after the two girls of his parish, 
to see what kind of a home they had and how they 
were doing; he had felt the responsibility of sending 
them away. This impressed me deeply. We invited 
the good Father to stop several days with us, which 
he did. The Colonel arranged with him to have ser- 
vice for the men, and in fact we all attended — officers 
and ladies, having such great respect for the man. 
He was indeed the father of his flock. 

I remember with great pleasure a dance, or 
''baile, " as the Mexicans call a dance. It was given 
at a ranch about eight miles from the post. When 
Kit Carson, the noted Indian scout of many years 
ago, died, he left several children entirely unprovided 
for. Mr, Boggs, who owned a large ranch in Colo- 
rado, adopted two or three of these children as his 
own, and it was the wedding reception of the eldest 
to which we were invited. The Colonel at first 
thought I had better not go; he thought there might 
be Mexicans there with whom I might not care to 
dance, should they ask me; and he would not have 
me hurt their feelings by declining; but I had no 
such thought ; I was very anxious to go and meet the 
people, so I went with the officers and their wives 
and took my niece. I shall never forget it, nor my 
dance with the Dutch baker. The dance I believe 
was the schottische. He was short and very fat. 

114 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



After a slide, in which we bent low (for I did just 
as he did) , we hopped three times on one foot ; another 
slide back and hopped again; then such a swing- 
around as he gave me — it nearly took me off my feet ; 
he was delighted that I had learned his dance, much 
to the amusement of many present. Such a supper 
as we had one rarely sees : quantities of all kinds of 
game, turkeys and chickens, beef and mutton, all 
kinds of wine and spirits — a feast of the olden time. 
It was here that the babies were mixed up. When 
we arrived we were all ushered into a large room to 
take off our wraps. There was a very large bedstead 
in the room, and on each side of the bed, lying close 
together well wrapped up, were babies belonging to 
the different Mexican women who were at the ball. 
It occurred to some of the mischief-loving young 
people late in the evening to change the places of the 
babies, those at the top being put at the bottom and 
those at the bottom put in the middle and so on. 
What was the after effect I never heard. 

The following autumn a great excitement prevailed. 
Several hundreds of the Southern Cheyennes came 
within a few miles of the post. They said they had 
come to fight the Utes, but it was generally supposed 
to be a cattle-stealing expedition. The ladies and 
children were not allowed to go outside the garrison, 
and the young children were lariated (tied) with long 

115 



REMINISCENCES OF 



ropes to the flagstaff, so they could not get out of 
sight. One day some officers were going to the Indian 
camp. Mrs. Happersett, my niece and I begged to 
go along; we thought we would not be afraid going 
with officers and men, but when we got there and 
saw those terrible looking creatures, with such brutal 
faces, I felt far from comfortable. The older women 
were most repulsive in appearance; their faces were 
full of deep lines, showing the hardships they must 
have endured; their ears had been pierced, and those 
that were not torn in great slits had heavy pieces of 
silver in different shapes hanging in them, they put 
their hands on us and felt my cheeks and hair and 
insisted upon my taking it down for them to see, but 
T was afraid as several of the Indians were climbing 
up on our ambulance wheels begging Kate, my niece, 
for the feathers in her hat, which she gave them, also 
a string of amber beads, with which they were de- 
lighted ; in return they gave her a pair of broad silver 
bracelets, very well engraved with Indian characters. 
After the Indians had been camped for several days, 
the Colonel received orders from General Pope to 
send them back to their reservation. The order was 
obeyed reluctantly, but, of course, they had to go. 

As I have said, we were not allowed to walk or 
ride outside the garrison while the Indians were 
camped so near ; but several days after they had been 

116 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



ordered to their reservation Dr. Happersett, the 
surgeon, came and asked me to drive with his wife, 
Mrs. Page and himself. The Doctor had a fine pair 
of spirited black horses, and I was always glad to 
ride behind them, and especially that day as we had 
not been riding or driving for so long a time. We 
went out on the old Santa Fe road. The afternoon 
was delightful, and we were all in fine spirits. The 
sunset was gorgeous— great streaks of gold and red, 
heliotrope, orange and blue. The Doctor spoke of re- 
turning, but I could not bear to turn my back on that 
wonderful sky and begged that we should go slowly 
on. All at once we came to a stop; the left front 
wheel would not revolve. I took the reins while the 
Doctor jumped down to find the cause, and he soon 
discovered a hot-box; his man had taken the wheels 
off that day to grease them and had gotten one on 
wrong. After losing much time trying to get the 
wheel off, without effect, the Doctor decided it best 
to mount one of the horses, if possible (for they had 
never been ridden), get to the fort as quickly as he 
could and send an ambulance out for us. We were 
about four miles out, and as none of us were robust, 
the Doctor thought it impossible for us to walk the 
distance, though we suggested doing so, but the 
Doctor considered it best for us to sit in the carriage, 
which we did for a time. 

117 



REMINISCENCES OF 



The twilight is very short in Colorado, and it soon 
began to grow dark; so it seemed to me best that we 
start toward the garrison and meet the ambulance. 
We walked on, each giving experiences on similar 
occasions to ourselves or others we had known, and 
each feeling, without telling the other, a good bit 
scared, wondering if there were any straggling 
Indians about ; it was now dark, and it was the black- 
est night before the August moon rose that I had 
ever seen; we could not see the road and stopped 
every little w^hile to feel whether we were on the 
road or on the grassy plains. Suddenly we heard a 
noise which seemed to come out of the earth, and some 
one spoke to us. We could not understand what was 
said and I halted a moment, when the voice spoke 
again. In an instant Mrs. Happersett gave a terri- 
fying scream and ran, Mrs. Page and I following, she 
clinging to me almost fainting from fright. We 
could hear the steps of men close behind us. There 
seemed to be two or three or more. We kept on the 
grass off the road and made no sound; the blackness 
of the night saved us. They could not see which way 
we were going. After running a long distance we 
came to a cross roads, w^hich we knew by feeling the 
earth, and hearing no sounds of men behind us we 
sat down on the ground, not knowing which road to 
take. It was not very long before we heard the 

118 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



sound of horses' hoofs but we did not speak, only 
pressed each other's hand. The sound came closer 
and closer, and by and by we saw a man on a horse 
coming toward us. He held a lantern in one hand 
which he raised from time to time looking about, 
and as he got nearer we saw it was young Latourette. 
The Doctor had met him as he rode into the garrison 
and told him where we were and for him to ride out 
as rapidly as possible and stay with us. The lad 
could not understand meeting us so close to the fort. 
While we were talking we heard a moan. After lis- 
tening attentively we thought it must be Mrs. Happer- 
sett and with the aid of the lantern Mr. Latourette 
found her where she had dropped in the road from 
exhaustion. Both she and Mrs. Page fell on young 
Latourette 's neck and wept, while I tried to tell what 
had happened. We sat by the roadside waiting, and 
after what appeared to us a long time we heard the 
rumbling of wheels. We waved our lantern and the 
ambulance stopped. Lieutenant Anderson had come 
for us ; fortunately he was big and strong, for he had 
to lift each one of us into the waggon, and when we 
reached the garrison we were utterly exhausted 
■^ith fright and fatigue. After hearing our experi- 
ence the Colonel sent a sergeant and some men out 
on the road to hunt for the men who had frightened 
us, but they found no one. The Colonel thought they 

119 



REMINISCENCES OF 



were not Indians, but possibly two of a band of horse 
thieves that had broken out of the guard-house early 
that morning', by getting through the roof, although 
they were manacled. It was some days before we 
recovered from the fright, and I never pass over the 
old Santa Fe road, or see a brilliant western sunset, 
without recalling the terrors of that black August 
night. 

Las Animas was a small town about five miles 
above the fort, and we went there to do our shopping, 
or for a drive. We had but the two roads, this one 
and the old Sante Fe trail, which is still good and 
full of interest. Las Animas had been settled by 
very respectable people, and I have the pleasure of 
knowing that I started the fund for the first little 
Episcopal church built there. I remember going one 
morning in the Colonel's ambulance with four fine 
mules, and had all of my children with me ; it was in 
the Spring and the children stopped to gather the 
wild flowers, the verbena in all colours and the little 
forget-me-nots. We had had a cold winter, the 
ground covered with snow most of the time, and it 
was a delight to the children to see these little flowers 
putting their heads above ground. When we got to 
the ford the water was very high. The bridge over 
the river (Arkansas) had been washed away the year 
before. As we went over my driver said he thought 

120 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



the river was rapidly rising, but I, not thinking much 
about it, went on and leisurely attended to my shop- 
ping, and then started for the fort. On reaching the 
ford where we usually crossed the river was rushing 
madly, and the man hesitated about crossing, but I, 
not realising the danger, told him to go on, and we 
started. In a moment I saw our peril. The mules 
struggled and swam, the body of the ambulance was 
filled with water up to the seats. We were carried 
by the current far below the ford, but after a des- 
perate struggle of both driver and mules we reached 
the other bank, thoroughly frightened and thor- 
oughly wet. It taught me a lesson, never to ford a 
rapidly rising stream. 

The Arkansas Eiver flows southeast through Colo- 
rado a distance of five hundred miles and is navigable 
at no point, but in the spring it rises suddenly, and 
often does great damage. There is also a pretty little 
stream flowing near Las Animas, called the ''Pur- 
gatoire, " but which the settlers call "The Picket- 
wire. ' ' 

Late that autumn we had a delightful visit from 
General Sheridan, General Forsyth and Colonel 
Sheridan. The General was on an inspecting tour. 
It was a great pleasure to me to see these officers 
again and to have the opportunity of entertaining 
them in my own house. I had not seen them since 

121 



REMINISCENCES OF 



those dear, delightful days in New Orleans. There 
was so much to talk over. The General was in great 
good spirits; it was shortly before his marriage to 
the beautiful Miss Rucker. We thoroughly enjoyed 
this little visit. They brightened us up wonderfully, 
coming as they did from the outside world. The 
Colonel had plenty of game for them. He was always 
a fine shot and kept the ladies supplied with all they 
wanted. We had a rope stretched across the cellar; 
the birds were tied two together and thrown across 
the rope; anyone could go in and help themselves; 
the only rule was, they must take them as they came 
and not pick out the best of the lot. 

Shortly after General Sheridan's visit Colonel 
DeLancy Floyd Jones came to see us. He came to 
inspect the four companies of his regiment at our 
post. He was a charming man and guest, and when 
he returned to Fort Wallace he sent his band to spend 
a week at our garrison to give us all the music we 
wanted. Of course, this was an occasion for dinners 
and dances. I well remember a mask ball we gave. 
Some of the ladies' costumes were very handsome and 
some of the officers' were certainly unique. Lieuten- 
ant Anderson, who was six feet two or three inches 
tall, went as a skeleton. His costume was of heavy 
black goods and was painted in white, the mask being 
painted as a skull. Captain Heutig went as the 

122 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



''Evil Eye." He was also in black, with one eye, 
and really scared me whenever he approached. Poor 
fellow, he was afterwards killed by Indians. Then 
there was a harlequin, and the devil, the latter Lieu- 
tenant Perrine, who was sewed up in red and painted 
with white and phosphorus. These were the most 
startling, and no one knew them. There were no 
strangers present, only our own garrison and some 
officers and ladies, whom we all knew, from other 
posts not far off. We all contributed to the supper, 
which was fine; the Colonel made the punch, which 
guaranteed it. Of course, we invited Colonel Floyd 
Jones, as we could not have had the ball without his 
generosity in sending the band. 

One Sunday afternoon, at about three o'clock, I 
was writing, and it suddenly grew dark. I thought 
a storm was approaching; we frequently had fierce 
wind-storms and would see the dark gray angry- 
looking clouds some time before the storm would 
reach us, when the sergeant of the guard would send 
some men to close the heavy wooden shutters, and we 
would light the lamps until it was over; but this 
afternoon it looked very queer, and in a little while 
it became perfectly dark. The sky was obscured by 
grasshoppers. They came in great clouds and ate 
everything in their passage. We all had vines over 
our porches, and not a leaf was left. They ate the 

123 



REMINISCENCES OF 



troop gardens, hundreds of watermelons not yet ripe ; 
in fact, not a blade of grass remained. They were 
all night and the whole of the next day in passing. 

One morning the Colonel started out to take the 
morning report at "reveille," as was his custom dur- 
ing the long years of service. He found we had had 
a tremendous storm and the snow was banked high 
against the front of the house, making it impossible to 
get out ; so he decided to go by the back gate. When 
he opened the door, he heard ''Comet," his favorite 
horse, who had won many a quarterstretch on the 
race course, stamping and neighing, and on going to 
the stable found him greatly excited over something. 
After quieting him down a little. Colonel started to 
go out of the gate but could not open it, although it 
gave a little and felt as though someone were leaning 
hard against it. Thinking it might be a soldier, he 
climbed as well as he could to the top, and to his 
great astonishment saw a buffalo against it. A herd 
of them had come in for protection from the storm. 
As many as possible were along the fence and they 
were all crowded together. The children in the garri- 
son were all greatly excited over them as, indeed, 
we all were. These were the last buffaloes I saw dur- 
ing my life on the plains. 

I well remember escorting a troop on its first day's 
march when going on a scout. The officers had 

124 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



invited the girls, and they thought it would be "so 
lovely" to ride out with them about fifteen miles and 
camp for the night. They talked so much about it, 
that Mrs. Page and I decided to give them the coveted 
experience they so desired. They were several days 
preparing for the trip. Enough food was cooked and 
taken for a regiment. We got off early one morning 
and had a very good ride until about eleven o'clock, 
when we stopped for luncheon ; after which we started 
off again. The wind having come up quite strong, 
it was not so pleasant riding; and by four o'clock 
when we stopped to camp for the night a hurricane 
was blowing great clouds of dust. We could not see 
our hands before us, and it was almost impossible for 
the men to put up the tent for us. Nothing could be 
taken from the hampers that so much time had been 
spent in preparing for the anticipated banquet. We 
ate our supper a small piece at a time, with our veils 
drawn down tight over our faces to keep from getting 
our "peck of dust" all in a moment. The ladies, six 
of us, were all huddled in one tent for the night, while 
Lieutenant Perrine, Lieutenant Anderson and two 
soldiers spent the night holding down the four cor- 
ners of the tent; the ropes were well wrapped about 
the pegs, but it was as nothing against the violence 
of the storm on the desert. Next morning, after a 
cup of good coffee, but a light breakfast, we mounted 

125 



REMINISCENCES OF 



our horses, bade the officers "Good-bye," and with 
the two "orderlies" retraced our steps to the fort, 
the wind having greatly subsided. If memory serves 
me right, I heard nothing more that summer about 
the delights of escorting a troop on its first day's 
march. 

My dear friend, Dr. Chismore, who lived a long 
time with the Indians of Nevada, Colorado, Califor- 
nia, and Alaska, and who was selected to accompany 
Lady Franklin to Alaska in search of Sir John's 
body, on account of the numerous Indian dialects he 
spoke, told me of a most interesting tradition of the 
Arapaho and Comanche Indians of Colorado, which 
he had translated while living among them. All 
Indians possess legends to account for any extraor- 
dinary occurrences, or natural phenomena which they 
do not understand, and their legendary version of 
the causes which created in the midst of their hunt- 
ing-ground — to the northwest of Fort Lyon — two 
springs, one of sweet and the other of bitter water, 
was the cause of the tribes of the Comanches and 
Snakes separating. 

"Many hundreds of winters ago, when the tribes 
of Indians were all at peace, two hunters of different 
nations chanced to meet one day by a small stream 
where both had gone to quench their thirst; a little 
stream of water rising from a spring within a few 

126 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



feet of the bank, flowed over it and fell into the river. 
To this the hunters walked, and while one went to the 
spring itself the other, tired by his exertions in the 
chase, threw himself on the ground and plunged his 
face into the running stream. The latter had not 
been successful in the chase, and his bad fortune and 
the sight of the game which the other hunter threw 
from his back before he drank at the crystal spring 
caused a feeling of jealousy to take possession of his 
mind. The other, before he had satisfied his thirst, 
raised in the hollow of his hand some of the water 
and lifting it first toward the sun poured it upon the 
ground — a libation to the Great Spirit who had given 
him a successful hunt, and the blessing of the refresh- 
ing water which he was about to drink. Seeing this, 
and being reminded that he had neglected the usual 
offering, only made him more angry, and the evil 
spirit at that moment entering his body got the mas- 
tery of him and he tried to provoke a quarrel with 
the strange Indian. 

'^ 'Why does a stranger,' he asked, rising from the 
stream, 'drink at the spring-head, when one to whom 
the fountain belongs contents himself with the water 
that runs from it?' 

" 'The Great Spirit places the cool water at the 
spring,' answered the other hunter, 'that his children 
may drink it pure and undefiled. The running water 

127 



REMINISCENCES OF 



is for the beasts which scour the plains; Au-sa-qua 
is a chief of the Shos-shone: he drinks at the head 
water. ' 

'' 'The Shos-shone is but a tribe of the Comanche/ 
returned the other; 'Waco-mish leads the grand 
nation. Why does a Shos-shone dare to drink above 
him?' 

" 'He has said it. The Shos-shone drinks at the 
spring head; Au-sa-qua is chief of his nation. The 
Comanche are brothers, let them both drink of the 
same water.' 

" ' The Shos-shone pays tribute to the Comanche, 
Waco-mish leads that nation to war, Waco-mish is 
chief of the Shos-shone, as he is of his own people.' 

" 'Waco-mish lies; his tongue is forked like a rattle- 
snake; his heart is black as the Misho-tunga (bad 
spirit). When the Manitou made his children, 
whether Shos-shone or Comanche, Arapaho, Shi-an or 
Paine, he gave them buffalo to eat, and the pure water 
of the fountain to drink. He said not to one, drink 
here, and to another, drink there; but he gave the 
spring to all, that all might drink.' 

"Waco-mish almost burst with rage as the other 
spoke; but his coward heart prevented him from 
attacking the calm Shos-shone. He, made thirsty 
by the words he had spoken — for the red man is 
usually quiet — stooped down to the spring to quench 

128 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



his thirst, when the subtle warrior of the Comanche 
threw himself upon the kneeling hunter and forcing 
his head into the bubbling water held him down 
with all his strength, until he fell forward over the 
spring, drowned and dead. The murderer stood 
looking at the body, and no sooner was the deed done 
than bitter remorse took possession of him; with 
hands clasped to his forehead he stood gazing intently 
on his victim, whose head still remained in the foun- 
tain. Mechanically he dragged the body a few steps 
from the w^ater ; as soon as the head of the dead Indian 
was withdrawn, the Comanche saw the water sud- 
denly and strangely disturbed. Bubbles sprung up 
from the bottom, and rising to the surface escaped in 
hissing gas ; a thin vapoury cloud rose and, gradually 
dissolving, displayed to the eyes of the trembling 
murderer the figure of an aged Indian, whose long 
snowy hair and venerable beard, blown aside by a 
gentle wind from his breast, showed the well-known 
totem of the great Wan-kan-aga, the father of the 
Comanche and Shos-shone nation whom the tradition 
of the tribe, handed down by skilful hieroglyphics, 
almost deified for the good actions and deeds of 
bravery this famous warrior had performed on earth. 
Stretching out a war-club toward the frightened mur- 
derer, the figure thus addressed him: 'Accursed of 
my tribe ! this day thou hast severed the link between 
9 129 



REMINISCENCES OF 



the mightiest nations in the world, while the blood 
of the brave Shos-shone cries to the Manitou for ven- 
geance. May the water of thy tribe be rank and 
bitter in their throats.' Thus saying and swinging 
his ponderous war-club around his head he dashed 
out the brains of the Comanche, who fell headlong 
into the spring, which from that day to this remains 
rank and bitter, so that even when one is half dead 
with thirst he cannot drink the water of the foul 
spring. 

''The good Wan-kan-aga, however, to perpetuate 
the memory of the Shos-shone warrior, who was re- 
nowned in his tribe for valor, struck with the same 
avenging club a hard flat rock, which overhung the 
stream, just out of sight of this scene of blood; and 
straightway the rock opened into a round clear basin, 
which instantly filled with sparkling water, and no 
thirsty hunter ever drank a cooler or sweeter draught. 
The two streams remain an everlasting monument of 
the foul murder of the brave Shos-shone, and the 
stern justice of the good Wan-kan-aga; and from 
that day the two great tribes of the Shos-shone and 
Comanche have remained apart; a long and bloody 
war followed the murder of the Shos-shone chief and 
many a Comanche paid the penalty of death." 

The following August (1874) the Colonel, with his 
battalion, joined Colonel (now General) Nelson A. 

130 




<£^ ^-^-Ki_^ -^|.^J.-^^^ i>c7^ 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Miles, leaving me and the children at Fort Lyon not 
knowing the extent of the uprising, but the campaign 
proved to be a very severe one and lasted about six- 
teen months. The Kiowas, Comanches and Chey- 
ennes had left their reservations and joined together 
for this campaign; there were also the Cherokees, 
Arapahos, Chickasaws and many other tribes that 
were warlike and had to be subdued. The command 
marched to ''Camp Supply," meeting Indians and 
fighting continually on their way; from there they 
marched to the Staked Plains, in the extreme north- 
west of Texas, where Colonel Biddle located "Fort 
Elliott." The weather was bitterly cold, at times 
thirty degrees below zero, and their sufferings were 
great; they were obliged to tie up their feet and 
ankles with straw; many of the men had their hands 
and feet frozen. They slept on the ground in their 
blankets with no tents and nothing to shelter them 
from the storms. I have often heard my husband in 
talking of this campaign speak of the gallant charge 
Captain (now General) Chaffee made in a fight near 
the Red River. There were several hundred warriors 
and Chaffee and his men charged up a hill at least 
two hundred feet high, where he carried the position. 
The fighting was so close that the men used their 
pistols. Lieutenant Anderson, who had been Colonel 
Biddle 's adjutant, was also in this fight. He had 

131 



REMINISCENCES OF 



been sent with a message to Captain Chaffee and 
remained to take part, riding beside Captain Chaffee 
up the hill. It was also in this campaign that four 
white girls named Germaine were rescued from the 
Cheyenne Indians. They were from Georgia and 
were en route to Colorado when they were attacked 
near Smoky Hill River. The father, mother and two 
children were killed, and the four girls taken cap- 
tives; two were quite young and two grown up. 
They were taken by the Indians to the Cheyenne vil- 
lage where they were finally rescued by the Sixth 
Cavalry. I have been told that our Government made 
provision for them. It may be interesting to hear 
Colonel Neill's report: 

" Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Neill, Sixth Cavalry, com- 
manding a camp near the Cheyenne Agency, sent an Indian 
runner to 'Stone Calf's' village with this note: 'Jan. 20th, 
1875. To Katharine Elizabeth, or to Sophia Louisa Germain, 
Vi^hite v^oman, now in the hands of the hostile Cheyennes with 
' Grey Beard ' or ' Stone Calf.' I send you these few lines 
to tell you that your younger sisters, Juliana and Nancy, are 
safe and well and have been sent home to Georgia. Your sad 
captivity is known all over the country and every effort to 
obtain your release will be made. Read this note to Stone Calf 
or Grey Beard, and say to Stone Calf that his message has 
been received, and that I will receive him and his band upon 
condition that he shall send you and your sister in first, and 
then he can come in with his band and give himself up to the 
mercy of the Government and I will receive him. I send you 

132 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



with this, pencil and paper; write me Stone Calf's answer, 
and anything else you may desire; I think the Indians will 
make no objection." 

I remained at Fort Lyon for several months with, 
my little family, thinking each month the troops 
would come home; and, besides, I could get more 
news of the campaign here. The Third Infantry had 
gotten orders to go to Louisiana, and we saw them 
off with great regret. The Nineteenth Infantry, com- 
manded by Colonel Charles Smith, arrived in their 
place. This regiment, up to that time, had seen no 
Indian service, having been stationed in the South 
during the reconstruction. I well remember the 
first Indian excitement that occurred after the Sixth 
had gone and the Nineteenth was installed. One 
morning a runner came dashing into the garrison 
with the news that a large band of Indians (pre- 
sumably Cheyennes) were within five miles of Las 
Animas. The troops were soon dispatched to send 
these renegades back to their reservations. If they 
refused to return, of course a fight would ensue. 
Colonel Smith got all the big guns on the parade 
ready for action and sent rifles to all of our houses 
for us to protect ourselves and children in case of 
necessity, for the majority of the officers had gone 
out with their companies and there were barely 
enough soldiers left to protect the garrison in case 

133 



kEMINiSCiENCES OV 



of an attack. During the day we were not so much 
alarmed, for we could see across the plains for so 
many miles, but when the shadows of night fell our 
hearts went down too, and there was but little sleep 
for men or women in that isolated army post. Late 
the next day the troops returned. They had over- 
taken a small band of Indians (who had greatly 
alarmed the settlers) but they were persuaded after 
a short parley (and the sight of soldiers armed ready 
for them in case of refusal) to return peaceably to 
their reservation, an escort being sent with them. 
We soon quieted down and forgot our fright, but the 
reports had gotten to the newspapers in the East, and 
had lost nothing in transit. My parents, therefore, 
were greatly worried and insisted upon my returning 
home with my children, so we packed up our fur- 
niture, gave it to the quartermaster for storage 
and turned our faces eastward. My niece, who 
had been staying with me, was fond of collecting 
butterflies, horned toads, curious insects of all kinds, 
as well as remarkable snakes, and she had a large and, 
I have no doubt, a valuable collection, for the soldiers 
of the Sixth Cavalry were always on the lookout for 
anything unusual for her. Kate was a tall handsome 
girl of sixteen. She rode well, drove four in hand, 
went shooting with her uncle and other officers, and 
was an all round good comrade, and the soldiers, as 

134 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



well as every one who knew her, were fond of her. 
Often before breakfast a soldier would come to the 
house and ask if Miss Kate would ride his horse that 
morning. When she would accept, the horse would 
be brought to the house fairly shining. She had her 
own horse, but the men seemed to feel quite honoured 
when she rode theirs. But to return to Kate 's snakes, 
which she kept in alcohol in large-mouthed bottles. 
I was very much afraid of them and told her she 
could not take them home, as they could not be packed 
and we had too much to carry. She seemed to acqui- 
esce and I did not think of them again. When we 
started on our journey each one was assigned a 
special bag, bundle or box to look after and carry 
until we reached our destination; mine was the car- 
riage blanket, rolled nicely as the soldiers roll their 
blankets. After our arrival home, Kate was talking 
with her grandfather about the wonderful reptiles 
in Colorado and he seemed to think she was ' ' drawing 
a long bow"; when, to my astonishment, she said: 
''Well, I will show them to you;" which she did. I 
had carried them home wrapped in the carriage-rug, 
which had been given to me to look after on our trip. 
Of course, Kate and the children enjoyed the joke. 

My children at this time were little frontiermen. 
The sight of fruit growing or a cultivated garden 
they had not seen since old enough to remember^ and 

135 



REMINISCENCES OF 



their excitement was intense and their remarks 
curious when they saw these beautiful sights. As 
we passed through Kansas the lads saw an apple 
orchard, the trees laden with the ripe red fruit ; their 
enthusiasm was great and they called out: "Look at 
the wild apples growing on trees." As we neared 
home the train stopped at a small town in New 
Jersey where we saw from the car-window an old 
church-yard, with beautiful weeping willow trees and 
old and new monuments. Nelly, now nearly four years 
old, exclaimed in great delight: "Oh! Mama, look at 
the beautiful stones growing out there!" I tried to 
explain that they were placed there to mark the 
graves where people were buried, when again she 
said in a loud voice : ' ' Grave-stones ? What are grave- 
stones? And why didn't we have them where we 
lived ? ' ' The people in the car rose and looked at us, 
so I thought they might as well be puzzled a little 
more, and said: "Dear child, the people did not die 
where we lived." It was the truth. We had never 
seen a funeral while we were in Colorado. 

When we got off the car a few miles further on, 
many of the passengers got off to take a last look at 
us, and I think they were a bit surprised to see a 
tall, handsome, elderly gentleman meet us with a 
fine turnout, ready to drive us home. What may 
also have added to the curiosity of the passengers 

136 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



was the fact that I was wearing a large, old-fashioned 
bonnet that I had taken West with me years ago. 
The styles had changed and the women were wearing 
little three-cornered patches, called "Fanchons." I 
was unconscious that I was not in the fashion, until 
I saw my sisters, who met me with raised hands, 
exclaiming, before greeting me: "Where in the world 
did your bonnet come from? You look as though 
you had just escaped from the Ark." I was inclined 
to feel a little hurt at first, but after seeing their 
pretty little hats I enjoyed the joke and no longer 
wondered why the people had looked at me as they 

did. 

After this campaign, which lasted for more than 
a year, the Colonel applied for a three-months' 
<< leave "—he had not been away from duty since 
the autumn of 1869— but, instead of getting the 
"leave" which he had been looking forward to, he 
received the following letter from General Pope : 

Headquarters of the Department of the Missouri, 

Leavenworth, Kansas, 

December 17th, 1874. 
My dear Major: 

It has been with great reluctance, and only because I could 
not in any view of the public interest avoid it, that I have 
felt obliged to assign you to the command of the cantonment 
on the Sweetwater. For such a command a cavalry officer of 
experience in that arm of service and good judg-ment was abso- 

137 



REMINISCENCES OF 



lutely needed, and your assignment was forced upon me. The 
command is the largest and most important in the Department 
and gives opportunity for valuable and noteworthy service. By 
the 1st of May your duty will come to an end and you will 
come in. Whatever I can do to promote any wishes- you may 
have for the spring or summer I will do very gladly, and mean- 
time I feel conjEident you will administer this important com- 
mand with vigor and success. 

Very truly yours, 

^T ' ^ TT r, . (Signed) Jno. Pope. 

Major BiDDLE, U. S. A. 

The Colonel remained at the cantonment until the 
following June. He and his command were the first 
white people to enter that barren and barbarous 
region, in the extreme northwest of Texas, called the 
Panhandle; it is now thickly settled and prosperous. 
After the fort was established and all in that sec- 
tion quiet, the Colonel was relieved from duty and 
given a four-months' ''leave." It was a great joy 
to his old father, who had not long to live, to see him 
again, and we made plans for a pleasant summer. 
But, alas! for the plans. He had been home but a 
few weeks when he received a letter from General 
Sheridan, reading as follows: 

Tir ^T -r^ Chicago, July 9th, 1875. 

My dear Major Biddle: '' 

I was obliged to revoke the promise for your additional two 
months, for the reason that the Sixth Cavalry was going into 
a new depot, without, or, at least, with but one field officer, and 

138 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



I felt that I would not be doing justice to my own sense of 
wliat I consider my duty to let this be done, and therefore 
revoked the authority and asked you back, so that the regi- 
ment might have two field officers. I was very sorry to in- 
convenience one for whom I have the highest regard, personally 
and officially. 

With kind regards to Mrs. Biddle and the ladies I met with 
her at Fort Lyon, I am, Yours truly, 

(Signed) P. H. Sheridan. 

Although the letter was complimentary, it did not 
at that time lessen the trial to me or the children. The 
Colonel had been to the tailor (the first thing an offi- 
cer does on leave) and gotten an entire outfit of 
civilian clothes, which were never worn, as it was 
seventeen years before he had another '4eave," being 
constantly in Arizona and New Mexico; and in the 
field fighting Indians, with General Crook, most of 
the time during the General's stay there. 

It was difficult for me to know what to do, and 
every army woman who has a family of children has 
gone through this heart struggle; it is so hard to 
decide just where duty lies. But it was finally 
decided for me that I should remain with the chil- 
dren, for the boys were too old to take back into a 
garrison, and I felt they were almost too young to 
be put at boarding-school for a while. The Colonel 
left immediately for Fort Lyon, where he joined 
his squadron and started for Arizona, via New Mex- 

139 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



ico. Colonel Compton was in command until they 
reached Santa Fe, where he remained with his squad- 
ron, and the Colonel with his command marched on 
to Fort Grant, Arizona; they were three months on 
the road, but had no trouble with the Indians during 
the march. 



CHAPTER VII. 



The children and I remained with my parents until 
the following late autumn. I had been on the lookout 
for a good school to place my lads, and finally decided 
upon a school in Connecticut, where I took them. In 
looking back over my life, I think the hardest trial I 
was called on to bear was leaving those dear boys that 
dull December afternoon. Dave got his arms about my 
neck and pleaded with me not to leave him ; he said : 
' ' I am such a little boy — not eight years old. ' ' Jack 
was a little man and comforter ; he swallowed the lump 
in his throat and said: " Come, Dave, we must take 
mamma to the carriage ; she must not be out late ; she 
has the city to cross. ' ' This sobered Dave, for even at 
that early age they thought they took care of me, as 
their father left me in their charge. They took me to 
the carriage. I folded each one to my heart and kissed 
them again and again, knowing I was going a long dis- 
tance from them, but never dreaming so many years 
would pass before I would see them again. I looked 
back at them as I drove away. The two stood side by 
side, holding each other 's hand. I burst into a flood of 
tears and wept as I had never wept before in my life. 

141 



REMINISCENCES OF 



In January, 1876, I started with my little daughter 
and nurse for Arizona. We took the express train 
for Chicago, there changed cars for Omaha, and thence 
to Ogden. The road- was not new to me, though it 
had greatly improved since I first went over it. A 
short stop was made at Ogden for passengers to iden- 
tify their luggage and pay for any extra weight 
they might have. We were soon off again for San 
Francisco, as we supposed our next stop ; but the 
weather had become very cold, heavy snow was fall- 
ing, the drifts were great, and we were soon stalled. 
The snow-ploughs opened the road over which we 
had come to a little frontier town, and our regular 
meals, such as they were, were brought to us from 
there. Fortunately, I was prepared with some tins 
of pate de fois gras, chicken and deviled ham, also 
tea, an alcohol lamp and many other little things 
packed by my dear thoughtful mother, whom I think 
no emergency ever found unprepared. We were snow- 
bound three days before the snow-ploughs succeeded 
in digging us out. All this trouble has now been 
overcome and the winter is a delightful time to cross 
the Continent. 

On our arrival in San Francisco we went to the 
Occidental Hotel, which has always been frequented 
by army people. We remained there the entire win- 
ter. Just as the Colonel was starting from Arizona 

142 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



for me trouble broke out on the Mexican border, and -^^^ ^^^ 

he was ordered out with a squadron to drive back 

Mexican soldiers from violating neutrality laws; and 

on his return from that expedition he had to go out 

after the Chiracauhuas and Apaches, who were under ^ia^v li^ 

the celebrated Cochise. The character of Arizona at 

that time was entirely in favor of the Indians, the 

food consisting of baked mescal-root and other things 

growing wild in the land they travelled over, so the 

raids on the white settlers were almost continuous. 

While we were waiting for the Colonel I had the 
pleasure of seeing many of the friends who were so 
kind to me during that winter when I was there ill 
and the Colonel at the Modoc War. We also made 
the acquaintance through Admiral Almy, U. S. N., 
of a delightful old English gentleman, named William 
Laird Macgregor. This gentleman belonged to the 
famous family of ship-builders named Laird in Eng- 
land, but being a second son he had taken his mother 's 
name of Macgregor when he inherited her estate in 
Scotland. He was well known by all the older officers 
of our navy, whom he had entertained delightfully 
at his home in the South of France. He was a great 
traveller and had been making a tour of our country, 
intending to return home via China ; but had been ill 
and was obliged to wait until he was strong enough 
for the voyage. He was over seventy years old, but 

143 



REMINISCENCES OF 



most intellectual and agreeable, also a little eccentric 
and very systematic, weighing himself before and 
after each meal; always carried a pedometer or 
odometer when walking or riding. Bronghten, his 
excellent valet, looked after him as though he were 
a child. Mr. Macgregor became very fond of my 
little daughter, who reminded him of a little girl he 
had lost many years before. He sent to Scotland for 
pure jams and candies, and many delightful books, 
which Nellie still has. He was most kind to us both 
in many ways and we grew very fond of him. Our 
friendship lasted until his death, many years after, 
at Arcachon, Gironde, France, where he had built in 
that lovely climate a white marble palace. For years 
after we left him, during the time we were in Arizona, 
he sent English and French papers to us; and, to 
my astonishment, one day I saw a letter I had written 
him, descriptive of our journey to Fort Whipple, 
printed in one of the English papers. He was kind 
enough to say that Nellie and I had brightened up his 
enforced stay in San Francisco. I have always 
believed in the doctrine of compensation. Surely, 
here was an example. A few years before strangers 
had ministered unto me and brightened my sick-room, 
and now here, in the very hotel, I was able to do the 
same good turn for a stranger. 

It was late in March before the Indians were again 

144 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



quiet on their reservations, and the Colonel able to 
get away and come after us. We had been waiting 
three months, but the climate was good, the people 
delightful, and we enjoyed our stay there. We re- 
mained but a few days after his arrival, just long 
enough to buy some extra furniture, carpets, cur- 
tains, etc., for the home in Arizona. We said good-bye 
with great reluctance to our dear old friend, for I 
felt sure we would never see him again, and when we 
got to the ship we found he had had my state-room lit- 
erally covered with flowers, and there were several 
baskets of most beautiful fruit for our journey. We 
started one beautiful April morning (such as only 
California knows in the early spring) on the steamer 
^^Newbern" for Arizona. We ran down the coast 
with a fair wind and rather close to the shore; I 
thought I had never seen anything more beautiful. 
The hills were green and cultivated nearly all the 
way down. We could see the orange- and lemon- 
groves in the distance. We were not sick a minute, 
notwithstanding the old ''Newbern" rolled to her 
heart's content. 

There were but few passengers aboard: two or 
three young officers, going out to join their regiments ; 
Mr. Turner, the agent of the Wells Fargo Express 
Company, who enjoyed himself hugely playing tricks 
on me — and I must confess they were clever — and 
10 . 145 



REMINISCENCES OF 



amused the Colonel greatly, who could not always get 
ahead of me so well. There were also some soldiers 
and Chinamen. At the mouth of the Colorado River 
we were transferred in small rowboats to a small 
steamer, called ''The Cocopah," commanded by Cap- 
tain Polhemus. While the soldiers, Chinamen and 
freight were getting on board, we watched men in 
small boats spearing jewfish. It was most interesting. 
The fish were very large and seemed difficult to reach. 
Those we took weighed about three hundred pounds, 
but I was told they often get them weighing over six 
hundred pounds. They are sometimes caught (and 
not speared) with a one-hundred-and-eight line, 
which is the size of an ordinary slate pencil, baited 
with a large piece of halibut. They were very good 
tasting, being much like black bass. We took a good 
many of them with us after they were cut up and 
packed in ice. 

The boat to which we were transferred was a broad, 
low, flat, stern-wheeler, with an upper deck without 
a railing around it ; the officers and their families and 
any civilians who might be going to the Territory 
occupied this part of the boat ; soldiers and Chinamen 
were below. The Colorado, broad, shallow and full 
of quicksands that are constantly changing, is a 
remarkable river; it flows through deep canons in 
Nevada, the walls of which in some places rise over 

146 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



six thousand feet; it also flows through the Great 
Canon, and then through broad, sluggish channels to 
the sea ; the only navigation is along that part of the 
country where the river separates California and 
Arizona where we were travelling, the whole country 
being barren and barbarous. A Cocopah Indian stood 
at the bow of the boat with a long pole measuring the 
depth of the water, calling every few moments in 
measured, monotonous tones its depth, and when it 
would get too low for the wheels to revolve two men 
would jump overboard carrying a long heavy chain; 
they would often go far out of sight, and fastening 
these chains into rings that were made fast in the 
rocks, they would wind the boat up to the rings ; the 
chains would be taken off and we would go on. When 
we came to a particularly large sand-bar the Captain 
would turn the boat around and the wheel would soon 
scatter the sand, after which the boat would again 
be turned and we would creep along. In the night 
time we were tied up to the banks of the river. One 
morning the Colonel called me out on the deck to see 
some Indians on the banks of the river ; they were the 
" Chimehuevis. " I was greatly shocked to find the 
men entirely naked except a piece of cotton which 
they wore about the loins, and hanging down both 
front and back; the women wore skirts reaching to 
the knee ; made of leaves ; leaving the breasts and legs 

147 



REMINISCENCES OF 



bare ; both men and squaws wore their hair long ; they 
were very dark, tall and most brutal in the expres- 
sion of their faces. We saw them every day and got 
accustomed to their nakedness. Sometimes, if the 
boat was tied up before sundown, they would come 
aboard, selling fruit or work they had made. 
;^^ V ^e took twelve days in getting to Fort Yuma, 
n^'cOD^^ where we remained with Colonel Bradley and his 
family. It was very, very hot and we slept on en- 
closed verandas, going to our rooms at sunrise. I so 
often thought of them afterwards, not only on account 
of the heat, but because of the lonesomeness of their 
lives in that God-forsaken country ; it must have been 
very hard for them, yet they bore it uncomplain- 
ingly. 

It was at Fort Yuma that General Sherman told 
the story of the old soldier who had been stationed 
there, died and went to hell. He returned one night 
and being asked what brought him back, said it was 
cold, and that he came back for his blankets! 

After our boat was unloaded, which took five days, 
and our cargo put on a smaller boat, we again started 
up the river. One Sunday night I was singing some 
hymns, and was surprised to see two Chinamen on 
the steps leading to our deck. They nodded and 
smiled, and I asked if they liked the singing. They 
nodded back and asked if I knew "Gleenland's Licy 

148 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Mountain" ("Greenland's Icy Mountain"). We 
all laughed, and I asked them to come near and sing, 
which they did; it was very funny to hear them. 
I then asked if they went to Trinity Church Mission ; 
they said no ; and I asked if they went to Grace Church 
Mission ; they said no. (I asked because I had friends 
interested in those Missions in San Francisco. ) After 
awhile one said: ''Me go Baptist to learn Linglish 
(English). Melican (American) man got heap church 
and heap Jesus Christ." 

After a short talk with them I found they thought 
each church, or denomination, had its own Jesus 
Christ. Another Chinaman I knew asked his mistress 
one day if she would have an early dinner, which she 
did. The next day he asked the same favor, when 
my friend said: "You had an early dinner yesterday; 
why do you want it again today?" He replied: 
"Me go to church. Me go last night; preacher he 
say, me be good boy, me go to heaven, me be angel, 
me get wings, all same chicken." 

We had a very funny scene just before reaching 
Ehrenberg. We had a large coop on the deck filled 
with ducks. In some way a number of them got out 
and flew overboard. The boat was stopped, two 
small boats were lowered, and some men went after 
them. As the men would get near enough to touch 
them the ducks would dive down, out of sight, and 

149 



REMINISCENCES OF 



come up at some distance away. It was great fun 
for us watching, and the soldiers and Chinamen had 
a good many bets on them. We lost three or four of 
the ducks, and it was a serious loss in that part of 
the land, as I afterwards found out. 

We reached Ehrenberg just before sundown four 
days after leaving Fort Yuma. It was only a depot 
for supplies that were shipped to the forts in all 
parts of the Territory; and here, entirely isolated 
from the world, lived Lieutenant and Mrs. Jack 
Summerliays, with only one other white man — a Mr. 
Vandevere, the clerk or secretary. They were very 
glad to see us and gave us the warmest welcome, 
though we had never before met. We had a very good 
dinner, notwithstanding it was so far out of the world, 
for most army women learned to cook and make the 
best of everything that came within reach. I was 
somewhat surprised when a very tall, thin Indian in 
the very garb I have before described came in the 
dining-room to serve the dinner, which he did quite 
well. There was much to talk about before I thought 
of putting my little one to bed, and I asked Mrs. 
Summerhays if I might have a tub of warm water 
to give Nelly a bath. In a little while she told me it 
was ready in my room (which I soon learned was her 
own she had given up to me). We said good-night, 
and going to the room I undressed the child and gave 

150 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



her a refreshing bath, the first that she had had since 
leaving San Francisco. She soon fell asleep and after 
I had straightened the room a bit, I decided I would 
get in the tub. I had just sat down in the water when 
my room door was silently opened and in walked the 
tall Indian carrying a tray filled with silver before 
him. I scarcely breathed so great was my fright. 
He walked over to the table, put the tray down, and 
as silently walked out, looking neither to the right 
or the left. It is useless for me to attempt to describe 
what I felt, it would convey nothing. 

The next morning I was sitting at the breakfast- 
table with my hostess while the Indian cleared the 
table. She was telling me the great difficulties she 
had encountered in training the Indian to cook and 
wait upon them. She had tried several squaws and 
found them impossible. Often 'v^^en this man would 
leave the dining-room to get anything from the kitchen 
he would remain away so long they would look for 
him and find him fast asleep on a bench. They never 
complained; they were glad to see him there, for 
they never knew what moment he would tire of his 
work and leave the house not to return, and there 
was no one else to call upon to help her with the 
work. 

While we were talking Nelly ran in calling, 
''Mamma, come out and see who is here." I went 

151 



REMINISCENCES OF 



quickly, and to my great delight and surprise there 
was Mary Broderick, who had lived with me at Fort 
Lyon. This faithful girl had crossed the plains from 
Fort Lyon to Arizona with the Colonel and his com- 
mand, cooking for him and the bachelor officers, never 
once complaining of the hardships she endured. 
When she heard the soldiers and escort talking of 
coming to Ehrenberg to meet us, she insisted upon 
coming with them to cook for me, saying she would 
not let me eat soldiers' cooking; and she took that 
seven days' ride across the desert, sleeping at night 
rolled in a blanket on the ground under the stars. I 
was greatly touched by her devotion. 

At about 8.30 a.m. we were ready to move. The 
luggage was stowed in the great army waggons, and 
the things for use on the road were in a smaller one. 
The ambulance, with four shining mules, and driver 
with his long whip in hand, was ready to start. It 
took a few moments to say "good-bye" to these de- 
lightful people — whom I always thought should have 
a medal for their services there, protecting the sup- 
plies that came into the Territory for the officers and 
soldiers, entirely surrounded by hostile Indians, and 
not much more than a corporal's guard to depend 
on aside from some Indian scouts. 

The country through which we rode was dry, sandy 
and sterile; the glare of light was so great that the 

152 



*A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



sand-plains glowed beneath the glowing sun, and we 
travelled slowly. At mid-day we stopped for luncheon 
by what seemed to me the bottom of a creek, but the 
men dug down and found a little spring. The heat 
was intense. One could scarcely breathe. The very 
crows sat drooping and open-mouthed, too hot to 
caw, but when disturbed sailed through the brazen 
sky without seeming effort. 

At two o'clock we were off again. There was no 
change in the character of the country; we could see 
for miles in every direction, the mountains looming 
in the distance. Toward night-fall it became a little 
cooler, and we camped near a small stream. 

We had a complete camping outfit, which included 
a tent and some bed-springs on which to lay my mat- 
tress and pillow. Everything was as comfortable as 
possible, considering we were crossing a desert ; Nellie 
and Mary were with me in the tent, while the Colonel 
slept on the ground near the men and close to my 
tent door, and although I knew I was in a country 
where the Indians were warlike I never had a calmer 
sleep than my first night on this great desert. I had 
great confidence in the soldiers of the Sixth Cavalry 
(who were there for my protection) who had fought 
so many hard fights against these Apaches, and no 
fear had yet entered my heart; alas, it was to come 
later. In the morning we were up early; it was 

153 



REMINISCENCES OF 



most beautiful, and as far as the eye could reach not 
a sign of life could be seen ; we seemed to be the only 
living people on the planet. After dressing my little 
girl we went out to see Mary get breakfast. She had 
become an old campaigner and went about her work 
as though in her own kitchen ; we had a fine mess 
chest, and a dutch oven in which the bread and bis- 
cuit were baked. We also had an arrangement made 
of wire to put meat or game on to broil ; the Colonel 
shot plenty for all of us, including escort, teamsters 
and ourselves. The out-door life was delightful; the 
desert seemed a wonderful place to me ; already I was 
beginning to feel its atmosphere and no longer won- 
dered at the gypsies. Nelly was as happy as a bird, 
and as well as possible. Soon after breakfast we 
broke camp, and at eight o'clock were off for the 
day's march. The road was lined with cactus of 
every description, wonderful and beautiful to me, 
as the plains of neither Nevada or Colorado have this 
beautiful plant. There were also the mesquite trees, 
a species of acacia which grow to the height of ten 
or twelve feet; the seeds, which are contained in a 
small pod, are used by the Indians to make bread ; it 
is quite sweet, palatable and very nutritious. The 
wood of these trees is very hard and heavy. They 
were almost the only trees we saw excepting the wil- 
lows which grow by the little streams and springs 

154 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



and where you generally find a rancli. When we 
stopped for luncheon one of the teamsters told me a 
story of a massacre that had occurred almost at the 
very spot where we had camped: "One day a large 
party of Apaches swooped down upon a ranch occu- 
pied by some Mexicans; the men fled, leaving the 
women and children to their fate. Those who were 
not carried away were violated and pierced with 
arrows and left for dead. The ranchero's wife with 
two grown daughters fled before the Indians reached 
the house and hid themselves under a wooden bridge 
a few feet away from where we stood. After a while, 
some Indians, including a chief, came to the bridge, 
and catching sight of the women, stood for some little 
time talking, saying what they would do when they 
caught them. The poor women were frightened 
almost senseless; suddenly the Indians jumped from 
the bridge with a savage yell and thrust a knife into 
the woman. The chief seized the elder girl, saying 
he would take her for his wife. He put her on a 
pony, and mounting another, they all rushed toward 
the mountain. After some time the mother and 
daughter ventured to go from their hiding-place. 
The poor creatures found their home plundered and 
the dead bodies of their friends and relatives on the 
ground. ' ' 

This story was not calculated to relieve any fear 

155 



REMINISCENCES OF 



I might have and though it had occurred many years 
before I was glad to start off again leaving the scene 
of this frightful massacre behind me. "We had not 
stopped long for luncheon. As we had a mountain 
to cross which was very steep, the Colonel, Nelly 
and Mary got out of the ambulance and walked quite 
a distance and the escort dismounted and led their 
horses, which were slowly walked. On reaching the 
summit the scene was entrancing. The mountains 
stretched away on each side, and some isolated peaks 
stood out in bold relief. We could see a stream wind- 
ing its way through a canon; we stopped for a few 
minutes only, as we had still a long distance to ride 
before reaching water, but the silent picture will ever 
remain in my mind, as will the wonderful sunset we 
saw that evening. We were still high in the moun- 
tain, the horizon seemed to be a wonderful lake ; every 
moment it seemed as though we would drive into it; 
as I looked from the ambulance it appeared to be not 
a hundred yards away. At first the colour of this 
lake looked crimson, with great streaks of silver gray, 
blue, and a golden reddish brown, like varnished 
copper; then there were great stretches of violet. 
Gradually the sky became more silvery, with wonder- 
ful fleecy clouds of blue in several tones, and the 
golden reddish brown was in great waves which looked 
like wings and one great hand spread as if in a bless- 

156 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



ing. All along the horizon were beautiful silvery 
clouds with white patches that looked like snow, and 
as if a great light in all colours was thrown on it. 
Sometimes it seemed as though we were above it. It 
lasted fully an hour. We were going down the moun- 
tain directly towards the west. I feel I cannot 
describe it, nor can I describe my feelings as I watched 
it. Never before had I realised how greatly colour 
could affect me; it seemed as though the heavenly 
gates were open and I was having a glimpse of the 
New Jerusalem. 

We camped near a little stream. Nelly and I 
watched the men caring for the mules, and then get- 
ting their supper. They seemed very happy and not 
to mind the lonesomeness. It was the stillness that 
impressed me. There were no birds, and only an 
occasional crow to be seen near where we were camped. 

The next morning we made an early start; crossed 
the desert until we came to a mountain that rose 
abruptly from the plain and was crested with a wall 
some two hundred feet high and was nearly perpen- 
dicular, forming one of the noted landmarks of the 
country. High mesas (mountains that have flat tops) 
closed in here and formed a canon through which we 
rode. The trail was narrow, barely six feet wide. The 
mountain towered above us on our right, and a deep 
precipice was on our left. It was very weird and 

157 



REMINISCENCES OF 



made me feel strangely as we crawled along, for the 
ascent was difficult. There was not a sound, only the 
tread of the mules and the horses which the soldiers 
rode; not even a sound of insect life could be heard. 
The stillness was of death; the tension terrible. It 
was called the ''Dead Man's Canon," not only because 
of the massacres that had occurred there, but also 
because of the entire absence of life, insect as well 
as animal. At about four o'clock we drove rapidly 
down the canon and turned into a beautiful valley. 
Here were hundreds of cacti in bloom — red, purple, 
yellow, and white. I uttered a psalm of thanksgiving, 
the sight was so beautiful, and coming as it did so 
unexpectedly upon me thrilled me, and it was with 
difficulty that I controlled my feelings. 

After a short drive through this beautiful valley we 
came to the spot where we camped near the profile of 
Montezuma; and as we drove in at sundown and 
approached the mountain, old Montezuma's face 
loomed through the deepening twilight clearly out- 
lined against the western sky, gradually growing 
plainer as we approached, until it seemed a fully 
formed colossal image with arms folded on its breast 
and shrouded in the cerements of the tomb. It was so 
majestic, rising as it did from the solemn plains, it 
filled me with awe, and I quietly sat gazing at it until 
the sun had gone and the red and yellow light was 

158 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



fast disappearing, so that it was too dark for me to 
see, and I went into my tent to think over the day, 
which seemed to me the most wonderful of my life. 

The next day we passed the scene of another mas- 
sacre, which had also occurred two years before. A 
whole family were killed, excepting two young girls, 
who were taken captives by the Apaches. We saw the 
graves where those who were killed were buried by 
some passers-by. It depressed me greatly ; and though 
the tragedy had occurred some time before, it dwelt in 
my mind, and as we drove on I could not help wonder- 
ing what the lives of the two captive girls had been. 

The country through which we travelled the morn- 
ing of the third day was rolling, and there was a fine 
stream by which we stopped for an early luncheon. 
The Colonel as usual had killed plenty of game as it 
abounded near the streams. That afternoon we had 
a long march across the desert to get water for the 
night's camp, so we did not rest long, but started off 
and rode quickly to cross the long stretch of desert 
before night-time should overtake us. Just before 
sundown two of the escort, one leading the Colonel's 
horse, rode rapidly back to the ambulance to speak 
to the Colonel, who was riding with me. He imme- 
diately got down to talk with them, and I knew it was 
about something serious. Whenever the Colonel rode 
with me, he had his rifle ready for instant use, as 

159 



REMINISCENCES OF 



all of the escort had, but before riding off with the 
men, he took a pistol from its case and while hurriedly 
loading it, said: '' The men see signs of Indians; I 
must ride ahead for a while." He handed me the 
pistol saying: ''Keep courage and remember what I 
have always told you — never let an Indian take you 
alive." A great lump rose in my throat; my head 
swam, and I was terribly scared, but almost instantly 
I thought of my child who must be protected ; and the 
poor girl who had braved danger in coming to make 
my journey across the desert more comfortable was in 
a panic of fear, so in trying to reassure her my own 
courage was somewhat restored. We rode very slowly 
on, each one filled with his own thoughts ; ten minutes 
seemed an hour, and the sun was fast sinking in the 
western sky. Each moment I thought I could bear 
the suspense no longer. We stopped, and it seemed an 
eternity before the Colonel returned, but I saw from 
his face, before he spoke, that he was somewhat re- 
lieved. He said: "There are signs of Indians, but I 
think they have passed on, and we will go on as rapidly 
as possible, ' ' which we did, the escort remaining very 
close. That night we camped at a stage station, which 
we reached about nine o 'clock. The Colonel asked if I 
would rather go in, and sleep in the house, but I pre- 
ferred the tent, with the soldiers all around; but 
there was not much sleep for me. 

160 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



The next morning we broke camp early; it was 
much cooler, and the country more settled. We passed 
several ranches and had a pleasant but uneventful 
day, the only thing of particular interest being the 
passing of the stage coach with the four horses on a 
run, carrying the mail; it was the only team of any 
kind we had seen since leaving Ehrenberg. That night 
was our last camping station. We had a fine supper 
of biscuit, coffee, game, and potatoes. The moon came 
out bright (and it seems to be brighter and to give a 
softer light in that wonderful climate than anywhere 
else) and we sat long by the camp-fire, talking and 
singing. 

Next morning we were off bright and early. We 
hoped to reach Prescott by two o'clock, and although 
I had enjoyed the outdoor life, and the wonderful 
country I had gone over, I was glad to reach our des- 
tination; but my little girl and the Colonel would 
gladly have kept on, notwithstanding it was thirty 
days since we had left San Francisco. He loved the 
out-door life and the shooting, and the little one was 
all unconscious of fear. 

When we were within a few miles of Prescott, on a 
hill overlooking the town, I was thinking of the long 
journey, and how far away I was from the two dear 
lads at school. I almost broke down ; but the Colonel, 
seeing what was in my mind, called my attention to a 
11 161 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



beautiful garden, which he knew I loved. I looked 
at it, but could not speak ; and during the long years 
I lived at Fort Whipple I never drove past that 
garden, no matter how gay the party was that I was 
with, without feeling that same emotion I felt the first 
morning I saw it. 

We had to drive through Prescott, the capital of the 
Territory, to reach Fort Whipple. It was a small 
but well-built town. There was a plaza, or park, in 
the center of the town and stores on the four sides of 
it. One side was given up to the saloons; but it was 
fairly orderly, considering it was a mining town. 
There was a good element from the beginning, and 
disorderly people were not allowed to remain long. 
I never saw a place grow so rapidly and improve in 
every way as it did during the five and a half years we 
lived near it. There was an excellent society — lawyers, 
mining engineers, and their families, and other busi- 
ness men ; also a great number of miners. 



162 



CHAPTER VIII. 



On reaching the fort we drove to Lieutenant An- 
derson's quarters. He had telegraphed us when we 
were at Fort Yuma, asking us to be his guests; and 
although the General in command and others had been 
equally kind, we thought best to go to our old friend. 
Such a welcome as we had ! I had hardly gotten the 
dust from my face and hands when General and Mrs. 
Kautz were announced, and soon after all of the staff 
officers and their wives and many others from the gar- 
rison. Champagne was opened and our health and 
hearty welcome drunk. The whole afternoon was 
spent in going over old Indian fights and campaigns, 
for here were officers who had served through the 
Modoc, Sioux, Arapaho, Apache and other Indian 
wars. Stories were told of thrilling escapes and I, 
not yet recovered from the fright of a few nights 
before, told of our alarm. They said the Indians 
were off their reservation committing depredations, 
and that a troop had gone out early the morning 
before, and if we had not arrived by three o'clock 
some troops would have been sent out to look for us. 
So we really made a lucky escape. It was supposed 

163 



REMINISCENCES OF 



the Indians thought we had a larger force than we 
had, seeing so many waggons. 

Fort Whipple was the headquarters of the Depart- 
ment of Arizona. It was situated about one mile 
from the town of Prescott, which had been established 
as close to the fort as possible on account of the In- 
dians. There was a good stream of water running 
through the garrison and some small willows and 
Cottonwood trees, making quite an oasis in the desert. 
The quarters for the officers and their families were 
poor and unattractive. General Kautz, the colonel 
of the Eighth Infantry, then stationed there, was in 
command of the Department. He was a fine soldier 
and a man of great integrity; loved not only by the 
officers and soldiers, but by every one in the Terri- 
tory. The staff officers all lived on a sloping hill 
overlooking the garrison, and huge granite mountains 
were in the distance. Directly facing the house we 
occupied, but miles away, was a huge mountain of 
rock towering above all others, called "Thumb 
Butte," as it was in the shape of a hand doubled 
with the thumb up. 

The staff officers' quarters were better (because 
newer) than those of the garrison, but there were 
but two sets that could really be called good. They 
were all built alike, — low, broad houses with hall in 
the center, and two rooms about sixteen feet square on 

164 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



each side; pantry and kitchen back, also an attic above. 
I often looked through the cracks in my house to 
the light outside. They were built of wood and ceiled 
(as there was no plaster to be had), and in that dry 
climate the wood shrunk, leaving great slits for the 
light and air to come in, and as there was often in 
winter a difference of fifty degrees in temperature 
between the day and night-time, we had to keep great 
fires going continually. We had no stoves or fur- 
naces ; only the large open hearth fire, and it is need- 
less to say it was hard at times to keep warm. We 
bought thin muslin, something like cheese-cloth, and 
had it tacked over the walls of the living-room, and 
bed-room and papered them, the muslin holding the 
paper, a soft gray ground with the passion vine and 
red flower in full bloom. We had sent to San Fran- 
cisco for it, and it took just four months to reach 
us after the order was sent. The Government at that 
time allowed no extra money to make the quarters 
comfortable, and I doubt if many of the discomforts 
we had were realised at Washington. 

We were so far from the railway that when officers 
came from a distance we were so glad to see and to 
talk with them about what was going on in the world, 
that our discomforts were for a time forgotten. 

We were not long in getting settled. An officer 
and his family were in the quarters we were entitled 

165 



REMINISCENCES OF 



to, but as they were expecting to go East soon we 
made ourselves comfortable for the time in a small 
house. The Colonel was now on duty as Inspector 
General of the Department, and was on General 
Kautz's staff. There were some delightful people at 
Fort Whipple, among them Colonel and Mrs. Wil- 
kins, whom I had not seen since we left Macon, 
Georgia, and their beautiful daughter Miss Carrie, 
whom every officer fell in love with in less than 
twenty-four hours after his arrival, and it was the 
same when she went to visit a garrison. All the 
youngsters fell down before her. Colonel Jim Mar- 
tin was the Adjutant General of the Department, and 
I suppose a more competent adjutant general, or more 
congenial man, was never in the army. His wife was 
very beautiful. Colonel Rodney Smith was there, 
with his bride. Colonel Chandler, a bachelor at that 
time, most agreeable and with a fine war record; Dr. 
Magruder and his wife and daughters; Captain 
Simpson and his wife, and dear little Amy with her 
beautiful hair like spun gold; Lieutenant Earl D. 
Thomas and his interesting wife and three little girls : 
besides a great many others. 

It was a very gay post, with an entertainment of 
some kind almost every day and evening. In fact 
years after we used to allude to the time when Gen- 
eral Kautz was in command, as "the days of the 

166 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Empire." The officers were going scouting continu- 
ally, so there was no time for the routine there now 
is in the army. Soldiers learned from actual ex- 
perience in the hardest kind of warfare, and strange 
to say there were fewer desertions. "When the officers 
had their turn to remain in the garrison it was pretty 
lively with dinners, dances, and the rehearsals of 
plays, for we had a most excellent Dramatic Society, 
and presented some very good plays every winter. 
I have been at a ''hop," and once at a play, when 
we heard the ''Assembly Call." Every officer 
dropped his partner and ran to his troop, and in an 
hour's time they were in the saddle and off to catch 
the Apaches, who were on the war-path, killing and 
destroying everj^thing they passed. Although the 
Colonel was on detached duty from his regiment as 
Inspector General, he never let his men go out on these 
expeditions without going with them if possible. We 
generally had a little something for them to eat at 
our house before they left, and a sandwich to go in 
their pockets; for often they had an all-night ride, 
and sometimes longer, before they could stop for 
anything. 

The days for the women were all alike. Usually 
in the morning we rode or drove, and we sewed a part 
of every day and ofttimes in the evenings, for as I 
have said we had all our own and our children's 

167 



REMINISCENCES OF 



clothes to make, besides the adornment of our houses. 
I remember very well upholstering a lounge and two 
chairs in pretty light blue cretonne with apple blos- 
soms on it. A soldier in Lieutenant Kingsbury's 
troop made the frames out of some boxes we had, and 
he tied in some springs that I was able to get in town, 
and I did the rest of the work. I also made window- 
curtains of the same material with fluted swiss ruffles, 
and lined with a soft unbleached cotton. They were 
very pretty and when they were drawn at night to 
keep out the cold, our room was charmingly pretty 
and cosy. Years after an officer told me there was 
not (to his mind) as pretty a room in Washington 
as my dainty little living-room on the frontier. This 
showed how little of the beautiful we had around us. 
In fact we would have been starved had it not been 
for the blue skies, the wonderful rugged mountains, 
and the mystery of the desert. 

I remember one occasion shortly after our arrival 
at Fort Whipple. There was a great outbreak of the 
Indians in the Territory. All the troops of the com- 
mand were ordered out except enough to protect the 
garrison. The Colonel was away on an inspecting 
tour, and General Kautz, who was always thoughtful 
of others, came and insisted upon Nellie and myself 
going to his house in the garrison to remain during 
the excitement. We had been there but a few days 

168 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



when the outbreak became so general and the excite- 
ment in the Territory so great that General Kautz 
and all of his staff went to the southern part of the 
Territory to be on hand in case they were needed, as 
the General would there be nearer the scene of action. 
I remained with Mrs. Kautz until the return of the 
troops and greatly enjoyed her hospitality, as she 
was a charming hostess. ^ 

In the month of June eighteen hundred and sev- 
enty-seven we had a son born to us, christened James 
Harwood, for my great-grandfather. I had been 
unable to secure a nurse ; such a luxury was not then 
to be had in that part of the country. I was very 
ill and my child frail and delicate. Dear Mrs. Wil- 
kins, whom I had known in Macon, Georgia, whose 
husband was the lieutenant-colonel of the Eighth 
Infantry now stationed at "Whipple," came every 
morning, gave my little son his bath, dressed him, and 
did everj^thing for us both, that her generous heart 
dictated, but my child staid with us only three short 
weeks. I wept so much seeing his struggles for 
breath, knowing he was suffering, that trouble came 
upon my eyes and I was kept in a darkened room. 
Dr. McKey and Dr. Worthington both feared cataract, 
but after six weeks the disease yielded to treatment. 
All of the officers and ladies came during the time 
doing all they could to cheer me. General and Mrs. 

169 



1^ 



REMINISCENCES OF 



Kautz lost their little daughter under almost the same 
conditions that had cost my child's life. 

The following autumn three Sisters of Charity, 
including Mother Monica, of whom we became so fond, 
came to Prescott to establish a much-needed hospital, 
and I went down to see them and ask in what way I 
could help them, for they had really nothing to begin 
on. Every one in the place was interested, for it was 
a fine charity and much needed. When the poor 
miners in the vicinity met with an accident or were 
ill there had been no place for them to go for treat- 
ment. The officers and ladies at the fort gave a play, 
''The Two Orphans," charging a dollar admission. 
The little room was so crowded we were almost scared, 
and I would give much if I had a photograph of the 
audience. There were all classes and conditions of 
men, but all well-behaved and appreciative. We 
raised considerable money, and added to the amount 
the good sisters raised in the town and county they 
were able almost immediately to build the hospital, 
as the merchants promised generous contributions 
monthly for its support. Brave, hearty, generous 
frontiersmen, who does not admire them? I think 
I must tell that a few gentlemen in town had a game 
of poker once or twice a week, and when the Colonel 
was not off on his inspecting tours he used to go down 
and play with them, though it was a rule of his life 

170 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



while in the service never to play cards when in com- 
mand of a garrison. One day he stopped at the hos- 
pital to see how they were getting along. Some con- 
versation took place about ' ' the game ' ' in town, when 
the Colonel promised that whenever he made a win. 
ning he would stop by and divide with them for the 
benefit of the hospital, which he did; but some time 
later when I was there Mother Monica asked : ' ' What 
has become of the Colonel? We have not seen him 
for a long time." ''Ah! well, then. Mother," I 
said, ''he can't have been Avinning. " While talking 
of the hospital I think I must tell of an incident that 
further strengthened my belief in the doctrine of 
compensation. A few years after we had left Fort 
Whipple an uncle of mine went to Prescott to look 
after some mining property. When within a mile of 
the city, going down the steep hill I have referred to 
before, some X->art of the harness broke; the horses 
ran, throwing the coach over an embankment; my 
uncle was picked up and carried to the hospital and 
found to be seriously injured. On his return to con- 
sciousness some time later, he inquired for Colonel 
Biddle, thinking he might be at the garrison. When 
the sisters learned he was a relative of ours they could 
not do enough for him, and they nursed him so care- 
fully his life was saved to his family. 

At this time there was a very estimable lady living 

171 



REMIXISCEXCES OF 



in the garrison, a veritable Mrs. Malaprop. She told 
us of some jewelry she had lost, and among the things 
was a topaz chain with a beautiful "pendulum.'' One 
Friday evening we went to the hop-room for the usual 
dance. It had been newly painted, and Miss Wilkins 
remarked that the odour was not pleasant, when the 
lady, who was present, said: "Oh! dear, new paint 
always did make me nauseous. ' ' She also told us she 
had several "relicts'' of the Revolution, and she was 
heard telling a stranger that we had to "irritate" the 
soil in Arizona to raise crops. Her husband died 
suddenly and the doctor asked: "Did your husband 
speak before he died?" "Oh. no!" she said, "he 
just gave three grasps and died. ' ' 

Whenever an officer left the Territory it was the 
practice to have an auction, selling off ever^i:hing he 
did not care to keep — even to his clothes sometimes, 
as they had generally been in the Territory some years 
and the civilian clothes brought in would not do very 
well after getting back to the States. The lady I refer 
to held an auction before leaving, and when some sil- 
ver-plated knives were put up for sale, she rose, and 
in a sobbing voice said: "Oh. dear, no! I cannot sell 
them; they have been in dear John's mouth too 
often." 

These auctions were a great institution. They 
enabled the settlers to buy furniture and other things 

172 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



at a fair price. Freighting was enormously high — 
twelve and one half cents per pound when we went 
into the Territory, and it had been higher. The 
ladies and officers always attended because it meant a 
frolic, and besides we always bought something. 
When we first went into the Territory I should have 
been delighted to have attended an auction, as I did 
later, for I had to pay $7 for a washtub, $2 apiece 
for flat-irons, $2 per pound for butter, $2 a dozen for 
eggs, and so on. A cook could not be gotten under 
$50 per month, and a housemaid $25, and ever\i:hing 
was proportionately high. I often wondered how the 
young lieutenants lived on their pay. Perhaps I 
might give a couple of recipes that we used, showing 
how one can get along without either milk or eggs. 

Custard without eggs or milk: Six tablespoonfuls 
of cornstarch; enough water to make it creamy thick 
when cooked ; add essence of lemon and sugar to taste ; 
serve in custard-cups. 

Apple-pie, without apples: Soda crackers soaked 
in water, and warmed until soft, but do not break too 
fine ; add essence of lemon and sugar and a great deal 
of nutmeg ; bake in pastry, with a top crust to the pie. 

You will feel sure it is apple-pie (if you do not 
make it yourself). These recipes were handed down 
from Mrs. Coolidge. who was on the frontier in 1850, 
and knew more privations than we did; but she is 

173 



REMINISCENCES OF 



• still living and is a most charming old lady, full of 
anecdote and interest. I had not been long at Fort 
Whipple before I bought from a lady, the wife of 
Judge Lieb who had a ranch near, a setting of good 
eggs, for which I paid $3, and she lent me a hen that 
wanted to set and I began to raise chickens and tur- 
keys. I sold over two hundred of the former and 
fourteen of the latter, besides having all we wanted 
and plenty of both eggs and chickens to give away. 
We also bought a cow from a man who was driving 
a herd up from Texas. Poor fellow, he had lost 
many, and was glad to sell out what remained at 
Prescott. We sold three cows at our auction, and I 
had had the pleasure of sending milk every day to 
both hospitals, the one at the fort for the soldiers, 
and the one in town erected while we lived 
at '' Whipple." 

I remember some years later, when Colonel Martin 
got his orders to go East, he held the usual auction. 
That morning the Colonel said to me, "Don't go to 
that auction to-day. We have already so much stuff 
we shall never get rid of it." About eleven o'clock I 
was sitting sewing when I heard some people run 
hastily up our steps and in a moment Lieutenant 
Kingsbury, Lieutenant Evans and Lieutenant Will- 
cox appeared saying, "Mr. Fisher, the auctioneer, is 
waiting for you; no one will bid; all expect you to 

174 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



open the auction," as I usually did. Off I went. 
They were in the kitchen and when I got there Mr. 
Fisher, seeing me, put up a chopping-bowl with 
chopper, kitchen knives and some long-handled spoons 
and other little things. No one bid, so just to start 
it I said, ' ' Twenty-five cents ; " no one bid against me 
and the things were knocked down to me. The 
officers and ladies roared with laughter, for just as 
they were handed over to me in walked the Colonel, 
and all knew the orders I had received in the morning. 
However, it started the auction and all went well; 
we carried the things home and I told the Chinaman 
to put them on the top shelf of the pantry and not 
to use them. They were afterwards sold at our 
auction separately for one dollar and fifty cents. 

I have almost forgotten to tell about my good Mary 
Broderick, the maid we took from Junction City. We 
had been at Fort Whipple about two years when she 
was married to a Mr. Stephenson, who was the chief 
clerk of the Department, a clever, highly educated 
man, evidently belonging to a good family in Scot- 
land, from which country he came. He had been in- 
temperate and I was afraid to let Mary marry him, 
but when he asked my consent I told him he could 
have Mary when he proved to me that he could stop 
drinking and provide a home for her. I had taken this 
girl from her family and friends and felt my respon- 

175 



REMINISCENCES OF 



sibility was great. At the end of a year the home was 
provided and he had stopped drinking, so they were 
married in our parlour, General Kautz, Colonel Mar- 
tin, and my husband signing the register. I regret 
to say my fears were not groundless for, after about 
three years of married life, disappointed at not hav- 
ing a son born to them he began to drink again. He 
lost his position and they moved to Colorado, where 
I lost sight of them, much to my regret. Many years 
after we learned, through his family trying to find 
him, that he had been disinherited, but had they had 
a son, he (the son) would have inherited a large 
estate in Scotland. 

In September, 1878, we had a visit from General 
Sherman and two of his staff officers, who came on a 
tour of inspection. General and Mrs. Kautz and the 
Eighth Infantry had been ordered to California, and 
General Orlando Willcox with the Twelfth Infantry 
had taken their places. General Willcox was in com- 
mand of the Department. I had known him many 
years — in fact, he was one of a few officers present at 
our wedding. He was a handsome, genial man, with 
a fine war record, commanding for a time in the Ninth 
Army Corps. As soon as I heard the General of the 
Army was coming T wrote to Lieutenant Kingsbury 
and Lieutenant Baird asking them to send me some 
game, and a fish, if possible, from the Verde River, 

176 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



as I wanted to give the General a dinner. I received 
a note in reply telling me. that some men would go 
the next day for the game, and that I should have 
the fish if they had to blow the river up to get it 
for me. Of course I took this as extravagant talk; 
however, in a few days a cart came from Verde (forty 
miles) Med with game of all kinds, — wild turkeys, 
ducks, quail, etc., etc., and there were two fine big 
fish, which delighted me greatly; there was also a 
note telling me there had been difficulty in getting 
the fish, and that ''the creatures" had very ugly 
heads, but they thought I could dress them up with 
parsley, etc., and they would look well. The day 
after the arrival of the cart we heard that some one 
had thrown a dynamite cartridge in the Verde River 
and a number of fish had been killed. This was a 
serious matter, and I was a bit scared, but said noth- 
ing; the Colonel was the Inspector General of the 
Department, and if he had known I was the cause 
none of us would have been spared. 

I was greatly pleased to see the General. He and 
my dear father had been friends for many years 
before the war, and the Colonel had belonged to Gen- 
eral Sherman's army, but left it at Atlanta, Georgia, 
with General Stoneman's cavalry, of which the 
Colonel commanded a brigade. I so well remember 
the informal reception given the General by General 
12 177 



REMINISCENCES OF 



Willcox the first evening of his arrival. All of the 
officers and their wives, as well as all of the bachelor 
officers, were asked to meet him. When I was pre- 
sented he took my hand, saying in his hearty manner, 
"Why, my child, I knew your father in California 
in eighteen hundred and fifty, in the stirring times, 
and if memory serves me right, your brother-in-law 
Harmony was there also, and I have known them ever 
since." He had a chair placed beside him for me 
to sit down, and playfully added, ''Don't run away 
with these youngsters," who were standing by ready 
to ask me to dance. I felt quite like a queen (for I 
was always a hero-worshipper) , and never was prouder 
in my life; it seemed to me a great thing to have 
this great man make much of me. The evening came 
for our dinner to the General and it was very good. 
I had a most excellent Chinaman cook named 
' * Flang, ' ' quite young, and he always dressed in very 
pretty Chinese coats, and, to match the costume, a hat 
that had a tassel on, which he had a peculiar little 
way of throwing one side. The General was much 
surprised to see fish in that part of the world and 
spoke of it, and I held my breath lest some one should 
speak of the blowing up of the river. It was delight- 
ful to listen to the conversation of these men. They 
realised how greatly we were cut off from the world 
and told us ever}i:hing they could think of to interest 

178 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



us, even to the little Washington gossip, so dear to a 
woman's heart. There were twelve officers and eight 
ladies, including Mrs. Richard Wainwright (wife of 
Captain Wainwright, U. S. N., who has so greatly dis- 
tinguished himself since). She and her little daughter 
were visiting her brother, Lieutenant Wotherspoon, 
and she added greatly to the pleasure of the garrison, 
having travelled a great deal, and aside from her good 
memory she had a charming way of telling things. 
When the dessert was brought in I had a great fright. 
A large fish was presented to me. ''Oh! my," I 
thought, "has he cooked another fish?" My heart 
was beating very fast, when some one said, ''Did you 
ever see anything so perfect?" It was a Charlotte 
Eusse; the Chinaman had imitated the fish, and it 
was perfect, greatly to my relief. 

The citizens of Prescott gave the General a recep- 
tion. He had been there many years before, and all 
of the old "Hassyamps" flocked to see him again. 
General Willcox and the General asked me to receive 
Yvdlh them, and as I stood beside General Sherman I 
mentioned each one's name quietly as they approached 
him. I knew every one in the country and although 
the General knew the faces of all he had met, I feared, 
seeing so many, he might not be able to recall their 
names and I gave him no chance to forget, while the 
old rough but kindly men were glad to be remem- 

179 



REMINISCENCES OF 



bered. The General gave me at this time an auto- 
graph picture of himself, which I have always greatly 
prized. 

We often rode over to Fort Verde for a dinner or 
dance, and to visit Captain and Mrs. Wallace. We 
usually left Fort Whipple about eight o'clock a.m., 
and when we started it was telegraphed to Verde; 
if we did not arrive on time, a sergeant and some men 
would come flying out to look us up, the Indians 
being bad in that locality. I recollect, with great 
pleasure, one trip we made. We drove a few miles 
beyond "Verde" to see Montezuma's well. It was 
a very remarkable place, about one hundred and fifty 
feet in diameter and fifty feet deep. At the sides 
of this well were caves resembling houses leading far 
in under the mountain, with great subterranean pas- 
sages. We started to explore them, but there were 
so many turns it was decided best not to go too far. 
We found several interesting pieces of pottery, arrow- 
heads, and other curious things. It is said this great 
well could be flooded. I have since understood that 
this cave has been explored and houses, much like 
those used by the Aztecs, found; also many curious 
Indian relics. I forgot to mention a young Indian 
boy, about nineteen or twenty years old, who lived 
with us. He was an Apache and had been left on the 
field in a fight years before when a small child. The 

180 




GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN, U.S.A. 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



soldiers of the Sixth Cavalry took him and he staid 
with the troop until he was fourteen years old, when 
he went to live with Lieutenant Perrine and Lieu- 
tenant Kingsbury as their valet. When these officers 
were departing for the East some years later they 
wrote to me, asking if I would like to have him, and 
we decided it would be well to do so. He arrived one 
evening at nightfall. Colonel took the youth to the 
kitchen to get his dinner and showed him the room 
that had been prepared for his occupancy. The next 
morning I saw the lad for the first time. He was tall 
and slender, not very dark, with quite a good ex- 
pression of countenance. I showed him how to wait 
on the table and how I wished him to wash the dishes 
and to do the other dining-room work, and then told 
him when he had finished the room to go to the 
Colonel's office and the Colonel would take him to 
town and fit him out with clothes. I then went into 
the sitting-room, and as it was cool I shut the door 
leading into the hall. A little later when I was 
sitting alone sewing I thought I heard the latch turn, 
but on looking up I saw no one and resumed my work, 
but presently the door quietly opened and in walked 
the Indian. "You must not come in here," I said, 
quickly, ''Go down to the Colonel's office." He 
paid not the slightest attention to me, but picked up 
a chair and placed it directly in front of me, saying, 

181 



REMINISCENCES OF 



as lie sat down, ''I like you much," wMch did not 
reassure me. I was really very much frightened, but 
I did not wish him to know it. So I pushed back my 
chair and rose, saying, "Come, Charlie (that was the 
name he had chosen), you must go to the Colonel." 
He then rose and I walked behind him to the hall, 
when I opened the front door and quickly slamming 
it after me, ran down to my husband's office, thor- 
oughly frightened. The lad was soon taught that he 
must not enter any room where I was without per- 
mission, and although he seemed docile and fond of 
us I was never quite at ease when alone with him. 
His greatest pleasure was playing marbles. Every 
day I taught him and he was learning to read quite 
well. He had been with us for over a year and seemed 
very happy and content, when Lieutenant Hanna 
came to Fort Whipple with his enlisted scouts of 
Pimas and other Indians, which the Government was 
using against the Apaches. Charlie seemed much 
depressed and discontented. The Colonel asked him 
if he wanted to enlist as a scout. He brightened up 
and said he did. We talked over the matter and 
decided it was best to let him go for three months, 
and he would find how hard the life was and would 
be glad to get back and be more content. He put 
all of his clothes carefully away in his room and went 
down to the garrison and enlisted. A few evenings 

182 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



after Nelly came to my room and told me an Indian 
wanted to see me in the kitchen. I went out and 
found three braves, and to my surprise one was 
Charlie, and his face was painted and his hair was 
matted with mud ; a blanket was around his shoulders, 
and he had on an old pair of soldier's trousers. He 
was just as much Indian as the others, who had never 
lived in a house or been with civilised people. Lieu- 
tenant Hanna afterwards told me that he was the 
worst scout he had, and he ran away with two or three 
other worthless Indians. Since then I have never 
thought the plan of sending Indian boys to the schools 
in the East to educate them, and then allow them to 
go back to their reservations, a good one. There are 
too many generations of Indians back of them, and 
the few years of civilisation are soon forgotten. 

In the winter of 1879 another son was born to us. 
He, too, was very delicate ; the valve of his heart had 
not closed and he had great difficulty in breathing. 
We were fortunate in having Dr. Ainsworth with us, 
who was a master in his profession; and although he 
has since proven himself so efficient in the Record 
and Pension Bureau, it seems a pity that he should 
have given up the highest profession — that of saving 
life — in which he was so eminently successful. He 
watched my babe so carefully, doing everything for 
him that science had made known, that each day we 

183 



REMINISCENCES OF 



saw the little life grow stronger, and we have never 
forgotten that we owe the lad's life to his watchful 
care. I had an excellent nurse, a Mrs. Bailey. My 
husband had sent to San Francisco for her, not only 
paying her expenses to come to us, but gave her one 
hundred dollars per month from the date she started. 
She remained with us three months, then went to 
some ladies in the garrison who needed her services. 
Some time afterwards I sent for her to come to see 
me. After telling her when I would again need her, 
I said, ''You are certainly not going to charge me as 
much as before, especially as you have been constantly 
occupied and are doing so well." The old lady 
dropped her head and thought awhile, then said, 
''Well, madam, if you are going to make a yearly job 
of this, I guess I can come for ninety dollars per 
month." She saw nothing funny in this, but I did 
not engage her at the discount. 

An amusing incident occurred about this time. A 
young officer in the garrison was too fond of going 
to the sutler's to throw dice for drinks. He had a 
lovely wife and babe, and he was persuaded to "go 
on the water waggon, ' ' as the men said whenever they 
stopped drinking. I think I have said that army 
officers make excellent Tiusbands; they are always 
ready to help their wives in every way they can. One 
day this young fellow found his wife very busy, and 

184 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



said, "If you will put the little one in its carriage I 
will run her up and down the board-walk." The 
babe was soon tenderly tucked in the carriage, and 
the proud young father pushed the carriage some 
time. At one end of the board- w^alk was the sutler's, 
and finally the temptation got too great and he rolled 
the carriage round to the back door and ran in to get 
a glass of beer. Two young second lieutenants seeing 
him place the carriage so carefully out of sight, 
thought they would have some fun. One took the 
baby out of the carriage and ran out of sight, while 
the other put a log of wood in its place and covered 
it up very carefully. By and by the proud father 
came out and started home, calling his wife when he 
reached there to come get the child. She threw back 
the pretty blankets and there lay the log of wood! 
She looked at her husband and demanded to know 
' ' what he had done with the child. ' ' He declared he 
had done nothing with the child, that the carriage 
was just as she had fixed it, whereupon the wife went 
into hysterics and the whole garrison was aroused. 
The culprits, finding the trouble they had caused, 
speedily returned the babe, much to the chagrin of 
the officer whose little secret was learned. 

And here I must tell a funny story on myself. 
One day the Colonel seeing Nick playing in the dirt 
dressed prettily in white, which he knew I had spent 

185 



REMINISCENCES OF 



much time in making, said rather positively, "Don't 
buy another inch of that abominable trimming stuff 
for that child; get something more suitable, some 
colored material." So the next day I drove down 
to Goldwater's store to get some brown and blue 
linen, if possible. As 1 entered the store Mr. Morris 
Goldwater approached me, saying, "We have just 
received some of the handsomest embroideries we have 
ever had." "I cannot buy any more," I replied. 
"Colonel says he won't pay for another inch. I am 
to buy dark linens." "Well! you can look at them," 
he said, which I did, and wanted some very much, 
but I knew the Colonel was right and said no. Colonel 
would not like it. He replied, ' ' Why not call it some- 
thing else, — sundries, lamp chimneys, anything? The 
Colonel don't mind what you buy." It struck me as 
a very funny idea and I took several yards and forgot 
all about the incident as soon as I left the shop. At 
the end of every month the Colonel always brought 
me the bills, telling me to look over them and see if 
they were correct before he paid them. The first I 
took up was Goldwater's, and the first thing that 
struck my eyes was the number of lamp chimneys 
charged. (We always used a great many, as the 
changes in temperature were so great they would 
crack during the day as well as when used.) I cried 
out, "What do you suppose he means by putting so 

186 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



many lamp chimneys on the bill ? We could not have 
gotten them." ''Well, you had better drive down 
and see about it," said the Colonel, and that after- 
noon we went. I walked in the store and said, ' ' Why, 
Mr. Goldwater, you have put all of the lamp chim- 
neys used in the garrison this month on my bill." 
He looked rather curious and then suggested, ''Per- 
haps the man got them." "Well, if he did," I re- 
plied, "you should have known better than to have 
given him such a quantity without an order." Just 
then the Colonel walked off, saying, "You two must 
settle it yourselves," when Mr. Goldwater quietly 
remarked, "Did you forget the embroidery we called 
'lamp chimneys'?" I nearly swooned with laughter, 
and calling the Colonel told him all about it; the 
joke was too good to keep and 3^ou may know he was 
delighted to have it, and told it very often in after 
years. It all reminded me of my childhood; when I 
got into any particular mischief my dear mother 
would ask no questions but say to my older sisters, 
"Just give her rope enough and she will hang her- 
self," for somehow it would always come out. 

In those days I played the guitar and sang all the 
old-fashioned songs, which I had heard my dear 
mother sing when I was a child. Some of them were 
"Mary of Argyle," "When stars were in the quiet 
skies," "Believe me if all those endearing young 

187 



REMINISCENCES OF 



charms," and many others. Each officer had his 
favourite song, and several of them went to the band- 
master and learned to tune the guitar. They would 
come in, take up the guitar, tune it, and hand it to 
me. I always knew which song to sing. That dear 
old Martin guitar is still giving pleasure. My eldest 
son plays delightfully upon it, and often upon a 
summer night while he plays I sing the same old 
songs to the dear children, who have brought so much 
happiness into my life, and memory carries me back 
to the days spent on the desert. 

I was greatly surprised one morning to receive a 
letter from my brother. Paymaster McGowan, United 
States Navy, telling me he soon expected to be relieved 
from the Pacific Squadron and ordered East, and if 
I would send Nelly to San Francisco he would take 
her with him. I had felt for some time I would soon 
have to part with her, but it was none the less a shock 
for me to realise the time had come. She was my con- 
stant companion and a great comfort and pleasure 
to me. I had taught her but could not give all the 
time she needed for her studies, and realised it was 
best for her to go to my mother and attend school 
regularly, and have the companionship of other girls. 
She was quite tall for her age, rode well, and was 
perfectly fearless, also hearty and strong, owing to 
the outdoor life in that wonderful climate. She was 

188 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



a great favourite with her little friends — the Thomas 
children, Orlando and Charlie Wilcox, and Max 
Weeks, with whom she played marbles, flew kites, 
and gathered wild-flowers. 

One morning in the early spring we took her over 
to the town to join a lady friend who was going to San 
Francisco and would look after my child until she 
met her uncle. The Indians were quiet and on their 
reservations, and I felt it was the best time for her 
to go; she would be safe and I free from anxiety. 
The Colonel was under orders for an inspection trip, 
and I unable to travel, so we put her in the stage 
coach with four good horses that carried the mail. 
They went off in fine spirits, but when they got to 
Maricopa Wells, as there were no other passengers, 
they had to get out of the stage and go the rest of 
the distance on a buckboard. My child's dress was 
completely torn off her back from rubbing against 
a trunk, which she had to lean against for support. 
It must have been a terrible experience for them 
both. My brother said the little one looked like a 
young Indian when he met her at Los Angeles, she 
was so sunburned, covered with dust and dirt, and the 
waist of her dress torn in shreds. She interested the 
passengers greatly when crossing the Continent, tell- 
ing them of her life in Arizona and her travels. 
Arizona was an unknown country then to the majority 

189 



REMINISCENCES OF 



of people, as indeed it now is to many, and though 
most interesting to all who have sojourned there, none 
know what the development of this wonderful coun- 
try will be. 

When the Colonel was not on his inspecting tours 
we always had a little informal supper at 9.30. If 
game was in season we usually had it, for as I have 
said, he was an expert hunter and a fine shot, and 
when it was in season the rope stretched across the 
cellar was generally filled. We had long forks made 
especially to broil the birds, or to toast the bread 
with. After dinner the Colonel poked the fire so as 
to have plenty of hot coals by the time we needed 
them; then he mixed a toddy of some kind and got 
everything ready. The maid would bring in all the 
necessary things early in the evening and put them on 
the shelves for that purpose, for we had but few 
tables. We never had the servants wait on us at night. 
After the supper was eaten the Colonel, with the 
help of the youngsters, would carry the things back 
to the pantry ; then the cigars would be lighted. What 
dear evenings they were! What thrilling reminis- 
cences of the war the older ones would have to tell; 
what experiences in that Western country back in 
the fifties ! I wish I could remember them accurately 
enough to tell them more in detail. 

I think I have not mentioned that it was my custom 

190 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



for several years to make beef tea and wine jelly 
twice a week for the hospital, after it was established, 
unless the doctor wanted it for a special patient. One 
day he stopped at the house and asked if I had either, 
and told me he would like me to have some for him 
eyery day for awhile, as a woman in the town was 
very ill and there was no one to make delicacies for 
her. For two weeks or longer he called every day, 
and I would tie up a bowl or small pitcher with a 
napkin, making a loop so that he could put his hand 
through to carry it. We people at the fort could get 
more delicacies through the commissary than the peo- 
ple in the town could procure, owing to the heavy 
express and freight charges. I remember my mother 
sent me out a fine gown and a hat, and the Colonel 
had a bill of twenty-four dollars expressage. 

It was just about this time, when we were at din- 
ner one Sunday evening, a man brought in a tele- 
gram. The Colonel took it, and while he was reading 
it turned very pale, and without speaking handed it 
to me. We had lost almost every dollar we possessed. 
The agent whom we were obliged to have, being so 
far from civilization, had speculated with our funds 
and our money was gone. I had then to learn 
economy. We talked the matter over fully. Schools 
had to be changed and one maid discharged. The 
Colonel from that day turned his pay over to me 

191 



REMINISCENCES OF 



to do the best I could with it. It was very hard at 
first to make both ends meet, but I soon learned to 
economise, as every woman can when necessity de- 
mands it. While we were deploring the loss o£ our 
money our hearts were brightened by the birth of 
a daughter, Alice Wallace, named for my dear 'friend 
the wife of Captain Wallace of our regiment. Such 
a beautiful little treasure, to my mind, never was 
seen. There were three little ones born in the garri- 
son that month, and when they were about a month 
old some officers came over from Fort Verde to visit 
us. When they came to our house, the Colonel car- 
ried the pretty blue bascinet into the parlour. There 
lay the cherub ; she was a tiny thing, but like a 
Dresden China doll. The men said they would never 
again say all babies looked alike. When Alice was 
a few months old Mother ]\Ionica insisted upon our 
having our children baptised, as there was no clergy- 
man at the fort, and although we were not Catholics 
the good father rode all the way from Tucson in a 
stage to Fort Whipple to baptise Nicholas and Alice. 
We had now been at Fort Whipple over five years. 
We knew every one for miles around the place, and 
the settlers were very fond of the Colonel; he got 
to know them well while hunting over the country. 
We also knew every one in the town without regard to 
caste ; and whenever any delicacy was brought by the 

192 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



stage a part of it was always sent to me. I remember 
one day an officer, — Lieutenant Willcox, — came riding 
rapidly up to our door, jumped off his horse, and ran 
in saying, ''Colonel, I have some fresh oysters, just 
ten days from Baltimore." (The railway at that 
time had gotten within three days of Prescott.) We 
soon got a plate and the other necessary things. The 
can was opened and there lay twelve fine fresh fat 
oysters. Such a sight had never before been seen 
there. They had been on ice all the way out. A man 
coming into the Territory from Baltimore had 
brought a half dozen cans which he had had specially 
put up. They were delicious. The men stood by 
seeing me enjoy them. I ate six, the lion's share, 
and left them the rest. The Colonel afterward 
learned that seven dollars had been paid for the 
twelve oysters. 

It was now time for us to have our auction. The 
Colonel had been relieved from duty as Inspector 
General, and was to join his regiment in another part 
of the Territory. Notices were printed and sent 
out nearly all over the county. I had selected a few 
things we would need at Fort Grant, where we were 
going for a short time ; for as soon as the railroad 
reached Willcox I was to go East and see my chil- 
dren once more. On the day of the auction the house 
and grounds were crowded with people. I shut my- 
13 . 193 



REMINISCENCES OF 



self up in the nursery with the children and a few 
officers and ladies came to sit with me. After awhile 
I heard the auctioneer's loud voice asking for bids 
on a clock, and I wondered where it was. On opening 
the door a bit, I heard seven dollars bid. I hastily 
ran to the room and called out, ''Don't bid on that 
clock; it don't keep time." It was the same clock 
that Dr. Davis had doctored — as he called it — years 
before. You can imagine the laughter from these 
hearty people, and Mr. Fisher, the auctioneer, said: 
"You must leave here; this is the only auction I 
don't want you to attend." There was a woman 
present who out-bid every one on the things in my 
sitting-room and bedroom. After the sale was over — 
and we realised three or four times more than we 
had expected — this woman sent a soldier to tell the 
Colonel she wanted to see him. She told him she 
wished me to use the things she had bought as long as 
I remained, and then she would come for them. The 
Colonel told her it was unnecessary, as I would stay 
with a friend until I left, but she insisted upon leav- 
ing them, nor would she give her address for the 
things to be sent to her. 

Naturally the Colonel made inquiry about her, and 
found that the things had been bought for a poor frail 
woman in the town. It was she who had been so 
desperately ill a few months before, when the doctor 

194 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



had gotten the wine jelly and other things every day 
for weeks. During her convalescence she had found 
a napkin on which my name was embroidered that had 
been wrapped around something sent to her, and she 
then knew who had been making the delicacies. The 
poor woman was much touched and deeply grateful, 
and said she wanted the things that I had used around 
her; surely the heart that held so much gratitude 
could not be wholly bad; here was compensation 
again. 

A few days after the auction we w^ere ready to 
again start on our journey across the desert, but to 
travel in a more southerly direction. We left Fort 
Whipple one beautiful morning, December fourth, 
Nick's birthday; he w^as just two years old. It was a 
funny sight to see our porch while the waggons were 
loading, the innumerable demijohns of spirits, wines, 
etc., etc., that were sent by friends for our journey 
(and to a man who rarely touched spirits), besides 
champagne-baskets filled with all kinds of good 
things to eat. The dear friends, many of whom we 
had known in joy, and sorrow, gathered round to say 
"Good-bye," and although I was anxious to get near 
the railway where I could the sooner reach the East 
and see my children, I left with one long tender 
regret, for the grave of my little son under the 
shadow of the great mountain had to remain. We 

195 



REMINISCENCES OF 



stopped for a few moments in the town as we passed 
through, to say a last word to the friends who were 
standing in front of the little post-office. Among 
them were Mr. Curtis Bean, his wife and three most 
beautiful children; Mr. Head, Mr. Richards, Mr. 
Burmiester, and Mr. Spencer, a fine young man from 
Vermont, who taught school. The officers at the garri- 
son were very fortunate in being able to send their 
children to him. I have learned that he has since 
become a multi-millionnaire. It was an unusual sight 
that day to see the crowd around our ambulance, — 
gentlemen, miners, saloon-keepers, laborers, ''Chris- 
tians, Jews, Turks and infidels," one might say, yet 
we liked them all and in the years spent among them 
there had been no unkind word or deed and I shook 
each one heartily by the hand and wished him good 
luck. 

Now we were really off. "We climbed the great hill, 
where I had first had a glimpse of the spot that was 
to be my home, never dreaming so many years would 
pass before I should be turning my back on it. The 
Colonel had fixed the middle seat nicely for Alice 
by lacing ropes back and forth quite high, so it was 
impossible for her to fall off. I had put soft pillows 
on the seat, and there the little lady sat during the 
journey as happy as a bird. Nick often got out and 
walked up the hills with his father and, although I 

196 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



had no nurse, I got along finely. The children slept 
soundly and gave me no trouble whatever. We went 
over much the same ground for nearly two days that 
we had passed going into the Territory, but it was 
much more settled and at peace; no sign of Indians 
off their reservations; and we never dreamed there 
could be such trouble as old Geronimo caused later. 

The third day we reached Phoenix, a nice, clean 
town, all green and white, with trees planted on all 
the streets. They had brought water in and it ran 
all around in "acequias" (small ditches) watering 
them. I am told that Phoenix is now a thriving city. 
Here we met Colonel and Mrs. Benjamin, going to 
Fort Whipple. He was to be the Adjutant General 
of the Department. 

Starting on, we saw again in the distance old 
Montezuma's wonderful profile, that had affected me 
so much in the glimmering twilight as we went into 
the Territory. I am told that the Indians believe that 
one daj^ he will rise and right things in the world, 
when the Pimas (Indians) and their friends will be 
found far ahead of the balance of mankind. As we* 
went on we passed some wonderful specimens of cac~ 
tus, some quite small and others from thirty to fifty 
feet high and from one to three feet in diameter.. 
We also saw here in the valley of the Gila specimens: 
of the "gigantic genus of cacti," which is, I am told., 

197 



REMINISCENCES OF 



only found in this section of the world. The course 
of the Gila Eiver is marked by a line of green, from 
which broad flats spread out on either hand, in some 
places fully fifty miles, with excellent soil. I am 
also told this has all been irrigated and enormous 
crops are now being raised there. Here on the Gila 
Eiver the Pimas have their reservation. They are a 
peculiar people, different from other Indians, and 
have always been fast friends with the whites. They 
claim to have lived here forever and to be the orig- 
inal Aztec race, descended directly from Montezuma. 
There were about five, thousand of them, but I sup- 
pose they are now fast disappearing. Many of them 
were used as scouts against the Apaches, with whom 
they had been at war for generations. On the Gila 
River are the remains of several cities presumably 
built by the Pueblos or Aztecs. The foundations and 
some of the walls are still standing. 

We also passed through their villages, consisting of 
clusters of brush huts, cemented with mud, and lying 
at intervals along the road on both sides for the 
distance of six or seven miles. None but a few very 
young and very old men were in sight. Many squaws, 
who were very ugly, stood gazing at us from the doors 
of their domiciles, all of them naked to the waist. 

Tucson is also in this southern part of the Terri- 
tory. It is an exceedingly interesting old Spanish 

198 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



and American city, irregularly laid out and built in 
the usual style of adobe architecture. It is pleasantly 
situated in the Santa Cruz valley, but it was not very 
healthy at the time we passed by. There was also a 
fine military post, ''Fort Lowell," and a delightful 
society, Spanish and American. It was in this south- 
ern part of the Territory that we saw the most re- 
markable mirages, great cities and castles, and 
churches with domes; it was almost impossible to 
believe they were not real. 

Our journey was altogether delightful ; no Indians, 
the weather perfect, the children and myself well, and 
plenty of game for the Colonel, to shoot. We enjoyed 
every moment, and I was sorry when we began our 
last day's march. 



CHAPTER IX. 



We arrived at Fort Grant about three o'clock in 
the afternoon, and went at once to our own quarters, 
where we used our camping outfit until the waggons 
arrived with the furniture, etc. We took our meals 
for a while with Captain and Mrs. Thompson, who 
kindly took us in; they had been stationed with us 
at Fort Halleck, Nevada. 

While we were there a strange thing happened. 
One morning, as we walked over to breakfast, the 
Colonel noticed the flag at half mast. He stepped 
on quickly and asked the sergeant of the guard what 
it meant. He replied that "in raising it, it had 
gotten caught and they had tried in vain to loosen it ; 
so they thought they would leave it and perhaps the 
wind would blow it free. ' ' The Colonel said : * ' Come 
at once and take it down." They tried some time 
without effect, when the Colonel took hold of the 
rope and tried, remembering a trick he learned at 
sea many years ago. It was loosened and raised, and 
the Colonel told them never again to allow a flag to 
remain at half mast, when not for a death. While 
we were at breakfast that morning, some one knocked 

200 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



at the door, and Captain Thompson rose and went 
out to see a soldier. He had not returned many 
minutes, when he again left the table. I was sitting 
next to him and thought his expression strange, but 
said nothing for a while; how^ever, as he did not re- 
turn, I mentioned it to Mrs. Thompson, who said 
he always was interrupted at breakfast a number of 
times by soldiers. Still, I was not satisfied; I felt 
something was wrong, and finally she and the Colonel 
laughingly said: ''Well, come along, and we will go 
hunt him up for you." His room was the back one 
on the other side of the house. Mrs. Thompson 
walked in and we heard a scream and, going to her, 
found Captain Thompson dead, lying across the bed 
on his face, where he had fallen and died, from 
apoplexy. I always regret I had not followed my 
instincts and insisted upon the Colonel going after 
him as soon as he left the table. Of course, we were 
all impressed with the fact that the flag had floated 
at half mast for thirty minutes. Was it a coincidence 1 
We had a nice double house, with courtyard in the 
center, in the Spanish style. It was built of adobe, 
with three rooms on each side opening out on a wide 
porch and garden; at the back of the garden were 
the stables. The soldiers came and helped me get 
the house in order. We took our breakfast at home, 
but went to the sutler's for luncheon and dinner. I 

201 



REMINISCENCES OF 



had no nurse, but we had an excellent man who re- 
mained at the house while we went to dinner. 

The day after the army waggons got in with the 
furniture, boxes, dogs, horses, etc., I missed Nick 
and started out to look for him, calling as I went, 
but got no response. I went on, and when within 
ten feet of the stable out rushed a setter dog that 
had been raised with Nick. They were just the same 
age, and had not seen each other since we left Fort 
Whipple, now over two weeks; he and Nick were 
playing together in the stable and the dog, hearing 
me call, must have thought I intended taking Nick 
from him again ; for he rushed at me with his mouth 
drawn and kept me at bay. I was too much fright- 
ened to move and afraid to call the child, not know- 
ing what the dog might do; however, in a few 
moments Nick came toward me, and the dog hung 
his head and tail and looked very sad. I took in 
the situation at once, and spoke kindly to ''Tip," 
and we all walked on to the house. After that the 
Colonel arranged for the dog to sleep in the adjoining 
room to mine. I had no nurse and when we went 
to the sutler's for dinner, after the little ones were 
asleep, the Colonel would say: ''Come, Tip, and take 
care of the children." He would lie down by their 
little beds and at a sound he would be up and bark. 
They needed no better caretaker. 

202 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



I remember once at Fort Whipple I missed Nick, 
and opened the nursery door to look out for him. 
A funny sight met my eye. We used to make hash 
for the two dogs, Beauty and Tip. Each had his and 
her own tin pan that it was cooked in. What I 
saw then was Nick lying flat on his little stomach 
(he was not two years old), and he and Tip were 
eating out of the same pan. Another time I found 
them both together playing in the dog's house. They 
were devoted to each other. Tip was worthless in 
every other respect, but we always kept him and were 
fond of him on account of his great love for the 
children. 

Fort Grant was beautifully situated at the foot of 
Mount Graham. The climate was perfect. I would 
spread a large comfortable on the floor of the porch 
for Alice to play on, and we would be out-of-doors all 
the day long. I would sew or read and watch the 
children. At six o'clock the little ones had their 
supper by the bright hearth fire and would go to 
bed. A fire during the day was unnecessary, even in 
winter. There were some agreeable people at Fort 
Grant, including Captain and Mrs. Overton and their 
young daughter, who has since written some interest- 
ing stories, where the scenes are laid in this vicinity; 
Lieutenant and Mrs. Geary, young, pleasant people; 
and Dr. Thomas and his dear old mother. I have 

203 



REMINISCENCES OF 



often thought of her since, for her son died not long 
after I left the Territory. 

One night we went to the sutler store for our din- 
ner, where the bachelor officers had their mess. It 
looked like rain, which was very unusual, but the 
Colonel thought it would not come until midnight. 
While at dinner the rain came suddenly, and soon 
we heard a torrent roaring. On looking out, it was 
frightful. We waited some time, hoping it would 
hold up, but it did not; and the Colonel going out 
to see about getting some sort of a vehicle to take 
me home, found that the little dry creek that ran 
near to our house was a torrent, impossible to cross 
with any kind of carriage, or horse either. Two of 
our officers were drowned in just such a mountain 
torrent. A waterspout struck the head of the canon 
and in a few minutes made a raging torrent of the 
little stream near which the troops were camped. 
' ' Both Lieutenants Henley and Rucker mounted their 
horses and assisted in carrying the rations (which 
were rapidly being carried away), to higher ground. 
On the last trip, coming out of the stream. Lieutenant 
Rucker made a safe landing, but Lieutenant Henley's 
horse was knocked down by the torrent and great 
rolling stones; the horse got out safely, but as Lieu- 
tenant Henley rose to the surface he was again 
knocked down, insensible. Lieutenant Rucker quickly 

204 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



uncoiled his lariat and riding close to the bank threw "^ 

it across to his friend, who did not catch it; without \ UtAi^^v <> 

thinking of the danger to himself, this fine fellow 'JoUmv ^•• 

leaped his horse off the high bank ahead of Henley, 

and as the horse rose to the surface endeavoured to 

save him, but the torrent was fierce, and the gallant, 

noble-hearted fellow was swept from his horse, and 

he too was drowned." When this report reached the 

headquarters of the Department and was made 

known, there was universal sorrow throughout the 

whole Territory, where they were known and loved. 

That night we had to drive about four miles before 

we could get to the other side of the stream. It was 

the first of the spring rains and it washed the snow 

entirely from the mountain just back of us. 

The life at Grant was very simple and very health- 
ful. I never have breathed such invigorating air. 
The winter days were full of sunshine, and the atmos- 
phere was so clear that I could stand on the porch 
and see the trains come in and go out at Willcox, 
twenty-three miles distant. I would watch often for 
the mail-rider and could see him when he seemed only 
a speck against the horizon. One not accustomed to 
watching would not know him for horse and rider, 
but soon we would see him on a hill, clearly outlined 
against the sky, miles away. 

The railroad had been finished to Willcox, and I 

205 



REMINISCENCES OF 



was waiting for warmer weather in the East before 
starting on my trip to see the children. So many 
times I had planned to go, but something always 
happened to prevent; and now again it looked as 
though I would not get off, for I was suddenly taken 
ill with pneumonia. 

And here I feel I must say a word about the 
medical corps of our army. These gentlemen are not 
only always ready to give willing service, but the very 
best that is in them, untiring and never thinking of 
self. Let the call come from the Colonel or his wife 
or the laundress or soldier's wife, each gets as de- 
voted attention as the other. Not long ago I was in 
a garrison where the doctor was called in to attend 
the wife of a sergeant. He went and found it a 
serious case. After being there several hours and 
having his dinner sent to him, he sent to the hospital 
for a cot and rested a few minutes at a time, as he 
got the chance, and he never left the woman in the 
twenty hours, until she was safely delivered and she 
and the child doing well. An eminent physician of 
New York said to me one day that he could not under- 
stand men who were capable of passing the rigid 
examinations required by the IMedical Army Board 
going into the service ; that such ability would enable 
a man to reach the head of the profession in any city 
in a few years, whereas, in the army he received but 

206 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



a small compensation all his life for his services, 
without any chance to make anjrthing extra, except by 
writing. This is all true. 

As soon as I was able, I began to make my arrange- 
ments to go East, and Mrs. Hooker, whose husband 
had the most beautiful ranch in Arizona, ' ' The Sierra 
Bonita, " about six miles from Fort Grant, decided 
to go with me to visit her daughter, who was at school. 
"We concluded not to take a nurse, but would take 
the drawing-room on the car and could keep the chil- 
dren there very well. Captain and Mrs. Overton 
kindly packed my trunks and boxes. I was not 
allowed to do anything, but to get strong and ready 
for the journey. The morning finally came for us 
to start, and it was with a beating heart I got into 
the ambulance to ride the twenty-three miles to Will- 
cox, where we stayed all night. The Colonel put us 
on the train the next morning. Several officers had 
ridden over from Grant to see us off. Good-byes were 
said, ' * All aboard ' ' called, and we were off. 

There were but three passengers in our car besides 
Mrs. Hooker, the children and myself — a Roman 
Catholic priest and two Sisters of Charity, whom I 
was very glad to see. It seemed strange to me to be 
on a railroad train, especially in that part of the 
country. 

The army has not been given the credit it deserves, 

207 



REMINISCENCES OF 



but the world is now fast awakening to the realisa- 
tion that the Regular Army has been the great factor 
in building up, and for the progress in general of the 
great West. Soldiers made it possible for the great 
railways to be built across the Continent; they 
guarded the workmen from Indians, while they laid 
the rails, and afterwards, so that the r^ils should 
not be torn up, sleeping on the bare ground with only 
their blankets wrapped around them, often suffering 
from cold and exposure. The isolated army post 
made it practicable for the pioneer and early settler 
to take up ground, raise cattle and till the soil, for 
he, too, was protected by the soldier. Few people 
outside of the army realised the privations and suffer- 
ing of the army officer and his family, for they bore 
everything uncomplainingly. Cut off from all inter- 
course of his kind, save the few in his garrison, per- 
haps a weekly mail of letters, and an occasional paper, 
for the distances for the mail-rider were too great 
for books and papers to be carried. The wives had 
generally the house-work to do, beside all of the sew- 
ing, and the care of the children, who were brought 
into the world without a nurse to look after the mother 
or child. Is it any wonder that many of these chil- 
dren died soon after their birth? 

*^^ *if ^^ *^ 

^* •>* *T* ^S* 

I know nothing of politics, but I know that a great 

208 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



party in our country, running for election, proclaimed 
that if elected they would cut down the army and 
reduce the expenses of it. Was it ingratitude, or 
ignorance of the fact that the army they would turn 
down has made this great country what it is? Do 
the}^ not know that thousands of people in each and 
every State hold the army dear to them? Too many 
men, from the days of the Revolution, have given 
up their lives, or have been wounded in the service 
of their country, for their children, or grandchildren, 
to forget it. My great-great-grandfather, William 
Butler, was with Washington at Braddock's defeat. 
My father gave willing and distinguished service to 
his country for fifty years ; my husband, brother, and 
son are still serving. There are many, many families 
in each State, like my own, and the halo will ever 
remain over them. The party in this country that 
will always win the goal will be the party that carries 
on its banner, ''We will honor our Army for the 
work they have done, in helping to make this great 
country." I am but a woman, but I have helped 
''bear the burden and heat of the day." Look back, 
when the Colonel led that little band of officers and 
men of the Sixth Cavalry down through that bar- 
barous country where the foot of the white man had 
never trod. Many of the men had their hands and 
feet frozen, and the sufferings of all were terrible. 
14 209 



REMINISCENCES OF 



The fort was located, the officers and men remained, 
settlers came and made homes. It is now thickly 
settled and worth millions of dollars to the Govern- 
ment. Are such services as these men gave, to count 
for naught? It was also the army that constructed 
the telegraph lines and completed the great work of 
connecting the Pacific Ocean at San Diego with the 
Gulf of Mexico. A number of men were killed by 
Indians while doing this work, but the people knew 
nothing of it. I must say the Western railroads 
have shown their appreciation, for they cheerfully 
give the families of officers half -rate tickets over their 
roads, which enables many an officer to have his 
family with him. 

The journey from Fort Grant was filled with 
anxiety. My little daughter was seriously ill from 
the change in the milk, and for hours after reaching 
New Mexico she lay in a state of collapse, from the 
high altitude. The dear Sisters of Charity were in- 
valuable to me. We telegraphed ahead to have phy- 
sicians meet us at the stations, which they did, and 
gradually the child got better. I don't know what 
I should have done had Mrs. Hooker not been with 
me; her sympathy, advice, and assistance, were in- 
valuable, as she took entire charge of Nick, and as 
the baby got better I was able to get some rest. 

When we got to a little town on the other side 
of the river from Kansas City we stopped for break- 

210 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



fast. It was blowing hard but we needed food and 
had to get out and go in a large, high, wooden build- 
ing. We had just been served, when a man opened 
the door and called, "Run for your lives; this build- 
ing will fall. ' ' Every one started, and two men pass- 
ing near us each picked up a child and ran, Mrs. 
Hooper and I following as quickly as we could, but 
we were about the last to get out. We ran across the 
street and into a dug-out, where a cobbler was mend- 
ing shoes. A tornado burst over the town, houses 
were blown down, trees were uprooted, and it was 
frightful. A heavy freight train was blown from the 
bridge into the river. All this time I had no idea 
where my children were, but, although I was anxious, 
I felt sure the men who had them would seek shelter. 
The storm in its fury lasted, I think, about thirty 
minutes, or more. The building we had been in was 
blown and scattered in everj^ direction by the terrible 
wind. As soon as it was considered safe, Mrs. Hooker 
and I went out to try and find our train. The streets 
were so littered by the uprooted trees, roofs of build- 
ings, and all kinds of debris that it was with difficulty 
we made our way. After being repeatedly directed 
we found the train and went aboard. It was hard for 
me to "possess my soul in patience" until I could 
again see the children. By and by I saw the men 
coming, carrying them as tenderly as possible. They 

211 



REMINISCENCES OF 



told us the children had not been scared, and had 
been as happy as when they left us. Indeed, they 
were very enthusiastic about them and there was no 
lack of nurses to the end of our journey. 

When we left Fort Grant the officers had put 
a basket of champagne in the drawing-room for us. 
I had forgotten it until now, and it seemed to me a 
good time to have some opened for everybody. I 
called the porter and told him to get some ice and 
to open some of the bottles, all of which was done. 
One man declined it, and, after we all had drunk 
some, he stood up and said that Kansas was a prohi- 
bition State and that there was a fine of fifty dollars 
apiece for any one drinking, and a double fine for 
the one who offered it. He scared us for a while, 
and then laughed and took some. He was right, 
however, about there being a fine for drinking. He 
knew it and thought he would have a little fun to 
cheer us up. Fortunately that energetic citizeness of 
Kansas that has made such havoc with her hatchet 
was not among the passengers. 

The rest of our journey was comfortable, and we 
finally reached Philadelphia, where the two lads. Jack 
and Dave, met us and went on with us to my father's 
home. They had grown almost out of my recollection ; 
they were great tall boys, the picture of health. I 
gazed at them in astonishment and could scarcely 

212 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



believe they were the little fellows I had left six years 
before, and that they really belonged to me. Some- 
how they had remained in my mind as I had seen 
them last, standing on the lawn of the school with 
hands clasped and with little sad faces. Now they 
were far bigger than I. 

We arrived home safely. My parents and sisters 
were glad to see us again and also the dear little ones 
whom they had never seen. Alice looked up at my 
father with her great gray-blue eyes and held oat 
her arms to him. He took her and held her close to 
his heart, and loved her devotedly from that moment ; 
and anything she ever wanted he would have given 
her, if we had not been there to watch. I had taught 
both children that they must never touch anything 
on a table or bureau. 1 knew there would be so much 
more for them to see at home and I dreaded their 
handling things. When Alice saw anything that 
greatly pleased her she knew she must not touch it 
with her hands, so she would hold her little hands 
tight behind her and lean over and put her little 
lips or cheek against the desired object. My father 
had seen her do this several times, and it touched 
him, and he always insisted upon giving her what she 
wanted, but I would not yield. One day he left the 
luncheon table some time before we did, and when 
we went into the parlour my father had her on a 

213 



REMINISCENCES OF 



large, soft rug in a corner of the room; he sat 
on a large chair in front, guarding her. He had given 
her all the little ornaments from the table to play 
with that she loved most. When we saw what she 
had and exclaimed our displeasure, my father rose 
and said, ''he had some rights in the house which 
we did not seem to see," and that Alice should have 
some of the things to play with. It is easily seen I 
could not long maintain discipline. 

In July of that summer I took a cottage at one of 
the well-known Virginia Springs, going for my own 
health as well as for the two younger children. The 
surrounding country was highly cultivated and the 
Blue Ridge Mountains, while beautiful, did not appeal 
to me as the great rugged peaks I had lived among so 
long (and indeed while memory lasts these great mys- 
terious mountains will form a never-to-be-forgotten 
picture). The roads were good for riding and driv- 
ing, which Nellie and the boys greatly enjoyed. It 
was an unspeakable pleasure to me to have all of my 
children — from whom I had been so long separated — 
with me, and the great stalwart boys could not be 
careful enough of me. There seemed a great peace in 
my heart. 

The little ones had been unusually well. Alice 
had grown remarkably interesting for so young a 
child. Every day she was engaged by some of the 

214 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



ladies or the young girls, while Rosa, the nurse, got 
her meals. She was delighted with the gardens and 
her happiness was complete when she had a few flow- 
ers in her hand. One day late in August I saw she 
was not well and I sent hurriedly for a physician, 
who soon after his arrival sent for another, and I 
then knew my child's life was in danger. As soon 
as the children in the place heard of her illness they 
brought their little arms full of flowers for her, and 
they were put on her bed, where she could see them 
until the end; for in two hours from the time the 
doctor arrived the dear little heart that had given 
so much pleasure to every one who had ever come in 
contact with her had ceased to beat. There are some 
mortal sorrows. Her father always has a little blue 
sock in his bureau drawer which she wore in Arizona, 
and whenever he goes away from home it is tenderly 
laid in his trunk and goes with him. 

I returned to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where, with 
the children, I remained until the winter of 1885. 
The boys then started out for themselves; Jack went 
on Mr. Hooper's ranch in Arizona, David had a po- 
sition in New York, Nelly was at school at Ellicott 
City with Miss Sarah Randolph (the flnest educator 
of her day), and I decided to take Nicholas and spend 
the winter in AVashington, where I would be nearer 
Nelly and with my sister, Mrs. Harmony, whose hus- 

215 



REMINISCENCES OF 



band, the Commodore, was on duty at the Navy De- 
partment. I enjoyed the winter greatly. The climate 
was mild and the city, with its broad streets and 
avenues flooded with sunshine, its gay parks and 
beautiful houses, to say nothing of the charming 
people one met from all parts of the world, was 
delightful to live in. 

Later I had the great honor of being present at the 
reception given at the White House by President 
Cleveland and his wife. I shall never forget the 
scene as they came down the stairs and passed 
through the hall, lined on either side with diplomats 
from all countries in full court-dress, army and navy 
officers in full-dress uniform, judges of the Supreme 
Court, ladies in gorgeous gowns covered with jewels, 
Senators, Members of Congress, and civilians. As 
Mrs. Cleveland passed me on the arm of the Presi- 
dent to go into the Blue Room I was thrilled with 
emotion; she was so young and fair and wore her 
honors so easily and gracefully that it was no wonder 
she won all hearts all over our land, regardless of 
party. 

The Cabinet of President Cleveland was a very 
brilliant one. It was composed of men of fine intel- 
lect, who belonged to the old representative families 
of this country. Mr. Thomas F. Bayard was Secre- 
tary of State; his wife being very delicate, his beau- 

216 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



tif ul daughter Katharine — who afterwards died a very 
sad death — and her sisters presided over their 
father's house. Mr. Endicott — a Harvard man — was 
the Secretary of War, and his wife and daughter 
were most agreeable in their home. Mrs. Endicott 
was an elegant, stately-looking woman with that 
thoroughbred look which shows generations back of 
one; Miss Endicott was also distinguished in appear- 
ance and had a very clever mind ; she later married 
Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, of England, who afterward 
became Colonial Secretary. 

Mr. William C. Whitney was Secretary of the 
Navy, and represented the very best type of the 
New York business man, and our navy made rapid 
strides under his administration of the department. 
His wife was the most charming hostess I had ever 
seen; she had the rare faculty of making each one 
feel he or she was the desired guest; many years 
will pass before her gracious hospitality will be for- 
gotten. 

Another home which always had delightful after- 
noons, was Mr. Donald M. Dickinson's, the Post- 
master General. Mr. Manning was then the Secre- 
tary of the Treasury and it was always a pleasure 
to spend a half hour there on their days at home; 
indeed, as I have said, it was an unusual cabinet in 
many respects. Mr. Lamar, the Colonel's friend, 

217 



REMINISCENCES OF 



was, as every one knows who ever met him, a most 
brilliant man; no one could know him well and not 
be fond of him. 

There were other delightful hostesses among the 
residents of Washington. Mrs. Van Rensselaer Berry 
was quite the leader among the most exclusive set, 
and Mrs. McAllister Laughton was another, at whose 
house one always met delightful people from all over 
the world. Mrs. Loring, of Boston, had the nearest 
approach to a salon; there one always met men of 
distinction, judges of the Supreme Court, Senators, 
authors, and artists; the tone of her house was de- 
cidedly intellectual and enjoyable. 

In 1886 the Colonel was ordered East, and we were 
temporarily stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia. Mr. 
Endicott, then Secretary of War, had said that the 
officers who had been on duty for so many years 
away from their regiments were to go back, and those 
who had been longest on the frontier were to come 
East, but I imagine he found it a difficult task to 
remove those who had been in Washington so long 
a time; they had taken root too deeply to be moved, 
as there were some who never served a day with 
their regiments. We, fortunately, for once in our 
lives, had a friend at court. The Secretary of the 
Interior, Mr. Lamar, went to the Secretary of War 
and called attention to the Colonel's record of 

218 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



frontier service, and the Colonel was ordered to 
report at the War Department, after having served 
seventeen consecutive years in Arizona and New 
Mexico; he had not seen his oldest boys for nine 
years. We were ordered to Fort Myer, where we 
had a large double house. It took some time to buy 
the necessar}^ furniture for it, for the Colonel was 
so delighted when he got his orders East that he 
packed his trunk, and left everything we owned there 
for the officer who succeeded him; fortunately I had 
brought the silver and a few treasures when I came 
East. Fort Myer was not at that time a healthful 
place; malaria prevailed and both the Colonel and 
I had chills, but the drives back and forth from the 
city were picturesque and beautiful and I enjoyed it, 
besides there were large violet beds, some of them 
under glass, and the roses were luxurious and beau- 
tiful. I remember picking a large basket full of 
lovely pink bonsalines one morning late in Novem- 
ber, and they were scarcely missed from the bush. 
The view of the Potomac, the city and the capitol, 
was fine, from our porch. Every morning and even- 
ing we watched the crows that flew over to the city, 
regularly at eight o'clock, and returned at sundown, 
great flocks of them. Our favourite walk was to 
Arlington, only a short distance; it always made me 
sad. I could not help regretting that a grave-yard 

219 



REMINISCENCES OF 



had been made of that home, which contained so 
many hallowed associations. 

The following winter the Colonel was assigned to 
duty at the War Department, and we moved to Wash- 
ington and took a house, where, for the first time in 
our married life, we lived in a large cit}^ The few 
years that the Colonel had on duty in the East 
passed rapidly, for we had enjoyed every moment of 
it, having our children near us, and being surrounded 
with all that was delightful. 

On April 1, 1890, he got orders to join his regi- 
ment. He was now Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fifth 
Cavalry. I did not go West Avith him, the doctor 
thinking it better for my health to remain East and 
I could not again leave my children, whom I felt 
needed me. Before the Colonel left it was decided 
that I should go to the mountains of West Virginia. 
J\Iy dear mother had died, my father was in feeble 
health, being in his eighty-sixth year, and I realised 
that the old home which had welcomed us all so 
heartily would soon be broken up. Ellen was now 
a young lady, and, having tasted to the full during 
the two years in Washington all that a society life 
could give her, had gone to Radcliffe College; and 
Nicholas, who had grown to be a strong, hearty lad, 
was at St. Paul's School. In 1893, when the Colonel 

220 




COLONEL lAFTKRWAKH BKIi ■ A I H F.K-G KNER AL I .1 A.MES BIDDLE, U.S.A. 



/(U^a ^^^C^/ Jw— J ' /U 



Q Ce.-iJZj'-^ 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



came home on leave to be at our daughter's wedding, 
he had the pleasure of coming to his own home which 
I had built in his absence; and the out-door life in 
that healthful region, superintending the work of 
building our home, had completely restored my health. 
We had a gay Virginia wedding on a most beau- 
tiful October day; the sun shone bright and w^arm, 
all doors and windows open, no place in the world 
being finer than the October weather at the historic 
old Berkeley Springs, the virtue of the water being 
well known to the Indians before the whites had 
possession. It was also the summer home of Wash- 
ington, Charles Carroll, and Lord Fairfax, who pre- 
sented the place to the State. It was through here 
that Washington and his men marched to Brad- 
dock's defeat. During the War of the States the two 
armies occupied it at different times, and the old 
court-house, with many of the records, was burned. 
Over fifty years ago it was the gayest place in the 
country, but that is all past. It is now the home of 
a few delightful people, who enjoy the water and 
the beauty of the surrounding country. 



CHAPTER X. 



The Colonel was now, and had been since 1891, 
in command of the Ninth Cavalry, and as Ellen was 
married, and Nicholas was soon to go to Harvard 
University, I went the following spring to join 
my husband at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. It was a 
large and very pretty garrison, with several rows 
of trees all around the four sides of the parade- 
ground, many of which the Colonel had put out, as 
he did in every frontier garrison of which he was 
in command. At Port Lyon he planted several hun- 
dred, making four rows on all sides of the parade- 
ground. The water (the Arkansas River) was 
brought in from a higher point seven miles distant, 
Lieutenant Anderson being the engineer officer. The 
trees at Fort Robinson were not only a great beauty, 
but a great comfort, as the heat was intense during 
midsummer. They are now known as the Biddle trees. 

Fort Robinson was remarkable for its society. In 
no city would you have found a more charming 
coterie then was there when I arrived. There were 
Major and Mrs. Chaffee; and, although the Major 
had not then acquired the great distinction which 

222 




CAPTAIN PHILIP PENDLETON POWELL, r.S.A. 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



has since fallen to him, his bravery and gallant con- 
duct in many Indian encounters had won a name for 
him throughout the army; Lieutenant Philip Pen- 
dleton Powell, of Virginia, was the Colonel 's adjutant, 
and his wife, who was a daughter of Judge Hicks 
of New York, was an unusually attractive woman. 

Captain Stedman and his wife; Captain Garrard 
and his attractive, jolly wife; Captain Taylor, who 
was afterwards badly wounded in the Cuban War, 
and family; Captain Martin B. Hughes and his 
bright, clever wife (a Miss Stevens, of New York) ; 
also dear Jimmy Benton, who was quartermaster, and 
his young wife, who was the daughter of General 
Henry ; and many others, married and single ; but 
I must mention Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard, who 
looked like a great Norseman, he was so big and 
strong, with a long gray beard and head full of 
snowy white hair. The General was from the moun- 
tains of Tennessee and had enlisted during the Civil 
War, when the times were pretty hot down there. 
He was as brave as a lion, and had several medals 
and brevets, won in Indian fights. Major Isley and 
dear Dr. McEldery were also there. 

The first change I noted in the garrison life from 
the early frontier days was the evening after my 
arrival. We were just finishing dinner, when two 
officers called and their cards were brought to me. 

223 



REMINISCENCES OF 



I was a bit surprised at the formality, as I had never 
seen a visiting card during all the years I had lived 
on the frontier; but I soon found that the life here 
was much more formal — they were not so dependent 
on each other. The fort was on the railroad. Books, 
magazines and papers were in profusion; and there 
was not only mental food, but a fine market was only 
twelve hours away, and we got everything good to 
eat through the canteen. Invitations to dinners were 
sent out a week in advance, and when seated at 
the table you would not have known you were not 
in Washington, or some large city, the silver, glass 
and china were so beautiful. The life was no longer 
simple (the greatest charm it had always had for 
me), but much the same as in a city; the only thing 
not changed was the old-time Friday Night Hop, 
always so enjoyable. 

The country surrounding Fort Robinson was very 
curious. Great buttes (mountains of earth) rose up 
all around us, and in the distance looked -like great 
castles. There was one great high butte about a 
mile from the fort that had an interesting tradition. 
It was said that many years ago the Sioux and Crows 
(Indians) were at war, and the Sioux finally suc- 
ceeded in driving the Crows up this high butte 
toward nightfall; and, thinking there w^as no way 
for the Crows to escape, and not caring to fight at 

224 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



night, they rested at the foot until daylight, when they 
went up after them. All were gone, but the old men 
and old women. The Crows had killed their ponies 
and skinned them, and cutting the hides in strips, tied 
them together, and let themselves down this steep, per- 
pendicular side one by one. The old men and women, 
who were not able to make a rapid escape, had been 
left to keep up the fires, so as to deceive the Sioux. 

When I first went to Fort Eobinson the bachelors 
invited me to join their mess, my husband being a 
member of it. One evening when we went to dinner 
I saw standing on the porch the largest Indian I 
had ever seen; he was at least six feet four inches 
tall, and his torso was tremendous. Dr. McEldery 
asked him, for me, if he had any Indian bead- work? 
He said he had and would bring me some the next 
day; he and his squaw were on a little vacation away 
from the Sioux Reservation on pass. He showed me 
a medal, which he wore around his neck, that Presi- 
dent Tyler had presented to his grandfather for 
being a good Indian, and which was engraved on the 
medal. The next day I was in the sitting-room, read- 
ing, when I heard a gentle knock. Thinking it might 
be one of the little children in the garrison, who had 
brought me wild flowers several times, I got up 
quickly and opened the door. I was a bit surprised, 
for there stood the big Indian. He immediately 

15 225 



PEMINISCENCES OF 



smiled and stepped in, saying, "Yes, yes, yes," and 
handed me a paper on which Dr. McEldery had 
drawn the row of houses putting mark X on the one 
we lived in. He seemed pleased that he had found 
it, and held up a bag. I -asked if he had the mocca- 
sins? whereupon he turned the bag inside out, and 
there were several things. I asked, ''How much?" 
and he slapped his legs, which I interpreted to mean 
a pair of trousers, and which was right. I went into 
the Colonel's dressing-room and got two pairs of old 
trousers that I knew were no longer wanted and 
returned with them; both pairs had suspenders 
attached, which seemed to give the Indian great 
pleasure. He had a large piece of cotton cloth 
wrapped round and round him, extending far below 
the waist, and I thought he had on a pair of old 
trousers. He had not had the clothes I gave him in 
his hands a moment when he gave the cloth wrapped 
round him a jerk, throwing the whole thing off; and 
there he stood naked, save for the clout he wore, and 
on each leg, tied just above the knee, were pieces of an 
old pair of trousers, which he also pulled off. I was 
considerably startled, but before running off to call the 
Colonel, who was in his room, I could not help remark- 
ing how very small his legs were, nothing but muscle 
and very thin, while his body was that of a giant. 
At one time ' ' Red Cloud, ' ' the famous chief of the 

226 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Sioux, came to Fort Robinson with a number of his 
''braves" and some squaws to make a friendly visit, 
having had permission from the "Great Father" 
at Washington. As they walked into the garrison 
in their full regalia, great war-bonnets with feathers 
flying, the alarm and consternation of many of the 
ladies may be imagined, although they had been told 
the visit was expected. Few people, I imagine, can 
see a tribe of Indians marching toward them, even 
when not in their war paint, without feeling a 
thumping of the heart and a trembling of the limbs; 
at least that was my experience, but dear Mrs. 
Bradner (Mrs. Powell's mother) seemed to have 
plenty of nerve and shook hands immediately with 
Red Cloud on his arrival. They remained several 
days at the fort and gave a war dance which was 
attended by people living many miles distant. 

The life here was very pleasant; the quarters were 
excellent, and with good plumbing, the first I had 
seen in the army. The houses stood back, with green 
plots in front and at the sides. There were about 
a dozen sets of quarters (two houses under one roof), 
and they all faced the parade-ground, which was 
very large, fully six hundred feet square, while off 
to the right of the garrison was a magnificent drill 
ground. The water was brought in from a distance 
of several miles, and ran in acequias (little ditches) 

227 



REMINISCENCES OF 



all around the place to water the trees ; it was hard to 
make the grass grow, but no effort was spared and 
the place was beautifully kept. 

In June, 1895, Lieutenant-General Schofield came 
to Fort Robinson to inspect the regiment. He was 
making the final inspection tour of the army before 
his retirement. I think I cannot do better than give 
the General's report: 

Fort Robinson, Nebraska. 
Colonel James Biddle, Ninth Cavalry, 

Commanding Fort Robinson. 
I am directed by the Lieutenant-General commanding the 
Army to convey to you his sense of pride and satisfaction in 
his recent inspection of Fort Robinson at finding the troops 
under your command in all respects in a high state of efficiency, 
and prepared for active field service. Besides which, it was 
highly gratifying to find your regiment so thoroughly instructed 
in all the duties, prescribed by the regulations for occasions 
of ceremony, and all of the complicated maneuvers attending 
the inspection and review of the troops, both in full dress 
uniform and in campaign dress and equipment and in battle 
exercises. Every portion of all those exercises was performed 
with great accuracy. 

As an old companion in arms, who well recollects your meri- 
torious services during the period of the Civil War, the Lieu- 
tenant-General is especially gratified to be able to pay you this 
high and justly deserved compliment. Very respectfully 

Your obedient servant, 

(Signed) J. P. Sawyer, 
Lieutenant- Colonel, Mil. Secty. 

228 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



It was only natural that the regiment, officers and 
men, were greatly pleased with this report. They 
knew how hard the Colonel had worked to bring about 
the result ; day after day he had drilled them himself, 
and indeed he did so until the day he retired ; and I 
think I can safely say that no regiment was ever 
turned over to a successor in finer condition. 

During the summer of 1895 two charming girls 
came to visit us — Miss Chismore and Miss Edith 
Pendleton. They had a very gay visit, as all girls 
do in a military post — riding, driving, dancing, din- 
ners, and all the pleasures incident to a visit in a 
garrison. We also went to Fort Niobrara, by invi- 
tation of the officers and their wives, and had a most 
delightful visit; the girls were given all kinds of 
entertainments, beginning with a very enjoyable 
musical, given by Captain and Mrs. Hascall, and end- 
ing with a play, given by the officers and ladies of 
the post the night we left. Our train was due at 
Valentine that night at one o'clock; when we came 
out of the hop-room to get in the ambulance to drive 
to the station, six or seven miles distant, we found 
it was pouring rain and the wind howling over the 
desert. They begged us to remain, but we were due at 
Hot Springs, South Dakota, the next night. Lieuten- 
ant Elliott and Lieutenant Drew were to accompany 
us there ; it is sad to relate that both of these promis-^ 

229 



REMINISCENCES OF 



ing young officers succumbed to the Spanish War. 
Lieutenant Elliott was a specially brilliant young man, 
having a fine intellect. The troops at Fort Robin- 
son had been going for several years to the Hot 
Springs on their yearly practice march, and every 
one in that part of the country was fond of the 
Ninth Cavalry; they were so well drilled that peo- 
ple came from far and near to see them, and their 
fame was well known in the West and at the War 
Department long before the Spanish War. Mr. 
Evans, the proprietor of the fine large hotel, had 
invited all of the officers and their families, as well 
as those of the Eighth Cavalry, to a ball given in 
honour of the Ninth. It was done in true Western 
hospitality; one wing of the hotel was set apart for 
the use of the officers and their families, and we were 
to be Mr. Evans' guests for forty-eight hours. The 
ball-room was beautifully dressed with flags and 
candles ready for lighting, and the bands of both 
regiments were to be present. Among the officers 
from Fort Meade were Colonel Carleton, wife and 
daughter, Captain John Johnson and his delightful 
wife and daughter. (Captain Johnson afterwards re- 
signed, much to the loss of the service, but not be- 
fore he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general 
for distinguished service.) There were also Lieuten- 
ant Duff and wife, and manj^ others. 

230 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



At one time it looked as though we would not get 
there. The storm became intense and the mules 
would not face it; the night was frightfully dark 
and the road dangerous in many places; the wind 
blew a hurricane, it rained in torrents, and we were 
all dripping wet; Lieutenant Drew spoke to the 
driver to try and get him to urge his mules on, but 
the driver said they would not face the storm and, 
indeed, it became frightful ; but by and by I 
began to suspect the driver a little, and put my 
head out of the door and said, "My man, we have 
got to reach that station some time to-night, as we 
are not going back, and if you will get us there 
in time to catch the one o'clock train I will give 
you five dollars." There was no further trouble 
and we heard no more about the mules stampeding. 
The man had wanted the young lieutenants to ''put 
up" something, but they did not recognise the "old 
soldier" game as quickly as I did; and we made our 
train. Fortunately, we ladies had a private car, as 
there was not a dry piece of clothing on any of us. 

We reached Hot Springs, Dakota, the next morn- 
ing, no colds and no discomfort resulting from our 
disagreeable ride over the desert. We met all the 
officers and ladies of the Ninth, as well as many of 
the Eighth Cavalry, among them were Colonel Carl- 
ton and wife, Lieutenant Johnston with his charm- 

231 



REMINISCENCES OF 



ing wife and little daughter, Lieutenant Duff, and 
many other delightful people, at the hotel. After 
unpacking our trunks, we went together to have a 
swim in the magnificent pool about a quarter of a 
mile distant from the hotel. It was a gay party that 
walked up the springs that lovely September morn- 
ing. Miss Chismore and Miss Pendleton, being ex- 
cellent swimmers, went to the deepest part of the 
pool with several others, where there was a good bit 
of fun and frolic. The pool there is much the finest 
I have ever seen, and the water is so graduated that 
children can play in it and learn to swim without 
danger. 

We had not been in the water long, when Mrs. 
Benton asked if any one had seen her husband, who 
shortly before had been sliding down the toboggan 
and doing all kinds of tricks in the water. The 
officers told her they thought he had gone out of the 
water, as indeed we all thought, (he was a fine 
swimmer and an all-round athlete), but Mrs. Benton 
became anxious, and indeed almost frantic, declar- 
ing that she knew he was drowned ; and she went out 
of the pool to dress and look for him. After she 
had gone the good swimmers were having a race, 
when suddenly a terrible thing happened. Lieu- 
tenant Preston touched something at the bottom of 
the pool, which proved to be Lieutenant Benton. 

232 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



He was dead. He had died of heart disease. There 
was not a drop of water in his lungs. The shock was 
terrible to us all, for every one loved him. It can 
hardly be imagined what it was to his devoted young 
wife; but I never saAV a braver woman. She was 
a worthy daughter of General Guy V. Henry. We 
all went quietly back to the hotel, packed our trunks, 
and took the afternoon train for Fort Robinson. 
The ball, of course, did not come off. 

I shall never forget his funeral, which was a few 
evenings later; it was quite the saddest and most 
affecting I ever saw. The train for the East left at 
9 P.M. The command all turned out. The band 
played Chopin's Funeral March (which he loved) 
from the time we left the house until the train bear- 
ing his body left. The escort and the gun-carriage, 
bearing the coffin draped in the flag, went first, fol- 
lowed by his horse ; then there were several carriages ; 
the troops following with arms reversed, and many 
men carrying lanterns, as the night was intensely 
dark. It was very solemn and impressive, and made 
a picture I shall always remember. The Colonel 
went to Chicago with Mrs. Benton, where some of 
her family met her. 

The garrison did not recover from the shock for 
some time. Miss Chismore and Miss Pendleton had 
sent invitations out to all the military posts in the 

233 



REMINISCENCES OF 



Department for a ball they intended giving in re- 
turn for the many courtesies they had received, but 
the invitations were recalled. 

In the early autumn of the year 1896 Captain 
Anderson, who was in command of the Yellowstone 
Park, invited me to bring the young ladies who were 
visiting me to the Park. The girls were greatly ex- 
cited over the prospect of seeing this wonderful place, 
and we hurriedly got ready — as it was late in the 
season — and left Fort Robinson one beautiful Sep- 
tember morning on the Burlington Road, seeing the 
Custer battle-field and many Crows and other In- 
dians en route. 

We missed our connection at Billings and had 
to remain several hours, but the place was full of 
interest, and I saw more really fine Indian curios 
than ever before. The Indians, dressed in their gay 
blankets, walked about quite unconcerned and no 
one paid any attention to them. After a very pleas- 
ant day we took the train for Cinabar, where Cap- 
tain Anderson met us. We found General Miles on 
the train, having a special car, Mrs. Miles, Senator 
Sherman, Mr. and Mrs. Wiborg of Cincinnati, Dr. 
Hoff, U.S.A., Colonel Michler, and some other officers 
of the General's staff were with him. They went to 
the Mammoth Springs Hotel, where we had the 
pleasure of spending the evening with them. 

234 




CAPTAIN GEORGE S. ANDERSON, U.S.A. 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Early the next morning they started out for a 
tour of the Park, while we explored the wonderful 
Hot Springs, and I saw many old friends among the 
officers and their families stationed there. The next 
morning, greatly to our delight, who should arrive but 
General Coppinger with a party of gentlemen, going 
south of the park on a hunting trip. They were ad- 
mirably equipped. They had just come from Fort 
Eobinson, where they had been fitted out with men, 
horses, mules, and indeed everything the Colonel 
could give them. It cost the Government nothing 
and was good experience for the men, who profited 
greatly by the trip. They told us the Colonel had 
given them a regimental drill and review, which they 
declared the finest thing, in a military way, they 
had ever seen, and they were most enthusiastic over 
the Ninth Cavalry. 

These gentlemen were travelling like princes. 
They had a private train with ten cars for themselves, 
with compartments, and most of the compartments 
had bath-rooms; they also had box-cars for their 
horses. Dr. Webb had brought letters to the Colonel, 
and they were all most anxious to see the regiment 
drill, as they had heard so much of it. The Colonel 
not only gave the drill, but the eight troops 
turned out in full uniform and were reviewed; then 
they put on field dress and were again reviewed, fully 

235 



REMINISCENCES OF 



armed and equipped for the field — saddles packed, 
two field-guns on pack-mules, twenty-six mule teams 
with baggage-waggons, two ambulances with hospital 
field supplies, surgeons and men, complete; a signal- 
man was with each squadron and one with the com- 
manding officer. After the review the waggons were 
packed, and the squadrons went through all the prin- 
cipal drill movements required in battle, advancing 
and firing both mounted and dismounted as skir- 
mishers, and by troop; also in extended order; the 
field-guns were taken off the pack-mules, mounted and 
advanced firing, shelling the hills. I could well un- 
derstand their enthusiasm, for, notwithstanding the 
hundreds of times I have seen it, I am yet, always 
thrilled with excitement. 

The morning after the hunting party left, we 
started off for a tour of the Park. "We left the Mam- 
moth Hot Springs at about eight o'clock in the morn- 
ing. A light snow was falling, but we were well 
equipped for all kinds of weather and did not mind 
it. We stopped for luncheon at Norris' Geyser 
Basin, a most wonderful place, with its spouting 
geysers, clouds of vapour and overpowering odours of 
sulphur. From there we went to the Fountain Hotel, 
where we stayed two days, there being so much to 
see, both at the upper and middle basins. The drives 
were delightful, as the roads were perfect. We saw 

236 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



quantities of game, and were told that too much 
credit could not be given Captain Anderson for his 
protection of game in the Park. At every turn some- 
thing wonderful was to be seen, impossible to de- 
scribe. We had a lovely sail on the beautiful Yellow- 
stone Lake, which is 7788 feet above the sea and is, 
I am told, the largest lake at a great elevation in 
North America, its dimensions being twenty miles 
north and south and fifteen miles across. Perhaps 
the most wonderful things we saw were the petrified 
trees or fossil forests; the annual rings show some 
of the larger trees to be at least five hundred years 
old. 

It is impossible for me to relate all the wonders 
we saw, but I must say a word about the Grand 
Canon, which I would like every one in our country 
to see. We got out of the ambulance and walked up 
a trail until we came to a jutting rock, which the 
Captain had enclosed with a strong railing, which 
was necessary, for one's head is apt to get dizzy as 
you step out on this rock. The grandeur and beauty 
of the place is overpowering, and I burst into tears. 
On either side are vast pinnacles of sculptured rock, 
and the water passes with a single bound hundreds 
of feet into the gorge below. The colours of these 
rocks are wonderful; they look as though rainbows 
had settled on them — the moss green, browns, yel- 

237 



REMINISCENCES OF 



lows of all shades, crimsons, and purples; an artist 
with his brush could not tell it. "We watched it for 
hours, going and returning many times during the 
day, and again by moonlight in the late evening. 
Surely there can be nothing more beautiful. I have 
since visited the Grand Caiion of the Colorado, which 
must be the most wonderful thing in nature — cer- 
tainly, the most awe inspiring. It is vastly larger 
and grander in every way, but to my mind not nearly 
so beautiful. The next day we returned to Norris' 
Basin. This basin is considered the oldest in the 
Park, and there is much that is both wonderful and 
attractive, and I think we enjoyed seeing the spout- 
ing geysers, the clouds of vapour, the great mud pots, 
the Emerald Pool, and the ''Great Monarch" (who 
spouted in regal splendour for us), more even on our 
return than we had on starting out. Here we re- 
mained one night, seeing everything leisurely. Next 
morning we started for the Mammoth Hot Springs, 
where we remained one day, going again over the 
wonderful formations, impossible to describe. We 
then turned our faces toward Port Robinson. The 
girls were both dear lovers of nature and had thor- 
oughly enjoyed every moment, and the Captain 
assured me, when I was thanking him for the pleas- 
ure he had given us, that he was amply repaid by 
their appreciation and great enjoyment. A few 

238 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



weeks after our return, General Coppinger (who was 
in command of the Department), and the party of 
gentlemen, returned from their hunt. The party 
consisted of Dr. Seward Webb, Mr. Louis Webb, 
Captain Robert Emmet, formerly of the Ninth 
Cavalry; Mr. Jack Purdy, a very delightful man, 
and several others. The Colonel gave them another 
review. It was really very thrilling to see the charge 
these soldiers would make across the great drill- 
grounds. The girls and myself generally went out 
to see them every day, and we did not wonder that 
these civilians enjoyed it as much as they did. After 
the review they returned with us to luncheon. Just 
as the salad was being served the funeral call 
sounded and the Colonel excused himself, saying one 
of his men was to be buried, and he made it a rule 
to attend the funeral of any soldier who died in his 
command. General Coppinger went with him. After 
they left I saw a very serious look come over the 
face of Captain Emmet, and he asked me if he 
might also be excused, as the man to be buried was 
in the troop he had commanded in the Ninth Cavalry 
before he resigned. I well remember the first time 
I saw this gallant young officer. It was at Port 
Grant, Arizona, about 1881, or thereabouts. One 
terribly cold, stormy night the Colonel and I were 
sitting close by the bright hearth-fire when we heard 

239 



REMINISCENCES OF 



a knock at our outside door. As I was nearest the 
door and the Colonel was reading, I quickly jumped 
up and went to the hall to open the door, followed 
closely by the Colonel, for a knock at the outer door 
was unusual, and both of us had been a little 
startled. The officers of the garrison usually came 
into the hall, and then knocked. When I opened the 
door there stood a man in soldier's uniform — the 
long blue overcoat, with belt filled with ammunition, 
a soft gray felt hat, or sombrero, and high top boots, 
with trousers tucked in. I knew at a glance that 
he was an officer, and as he stood against the outer 
darkness, with his hand resting on his gun, he formed 
a picture in my mind never to be forgotten. As I 
have said, the night was black and stormy, and he 
had marched from Fort Apache with fifty Indian 
scouts, and he was the only officer with them. He 
had slept on the ground, rolled in his blanket, dur- 
ing the whole long march over mountain and desert. 
He had just arrived, and called on the commanding 
officer to report. These Indian scouts, who were 
considered peaceful, were the very creatures who 
shortly afterwards killed Captain Hentig. They 
used to come prowling around our house trying to 
see my little children, Nicholas and Alice, whom they 
thought very beautiful, on account of the light hair 
and blue eyes. I think I mentioned going into the 

240 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



kitchen one day and finding eight or ten Indians sit- 
ting in a circle on the floor; they had the two chil- 
dren in the ring, all playing with them, and strange 
to say the little ones were not the least afraid of 
the Indians, and did not wish to go in the house 
with the nurse. 

But to return to our luncheon. After Captain 
Emmet left, I asked the other gentlemen if they 
would like to go and see the funeral, and it pleased 
me greatly that they all left their luncheon and fell 
in line after the men and marched to the soldier's 
grave. It is needless to say the whole command ap- 
preciated this act of respect shown to the dead sol- 
dier. About five o'clock (p.m.) the Colonel, Cap- 
tain Powell, Lieutenant Eugene Ladd, who had ac- 
companied the hunting party in charge of the men, 
Miss Pendleton, Miss Chismore and myself went 
down to the special train, and saw the car-load of 
elk, deer, and other game; it told the story of the 
glorious time the hunters had had. 



16 



CHAPTER XI. 



A FEW months after this — December 11 — came the 
day for the Colonel's retirement from active service. 
The evening before, at a little dance given ns, the 
Colonel was presented with a very beautiful loving 
cup by the officers of the regiment. It was very unex- 
pected, and the Colonel was much touched and made 
a charming little speech, which surprised me greatly, 
for he was always a man of but few words; but the 
occasion inspired him. 

The day we left Fort Robinson was one of the sad- 
dest I remember. The men were devoted to the 
Colonel, and all during the day they came one by one 
to shake his hand and to say ' ' Good-bye, ' ' tears roll- 
ing down their cheeks. In the late afternoon Profes- 
sor Grungi brought the band to the house for a last 
serenade. They played all the Colonel's favourite 
pieces. He was very fond of music and had always 
taken great interest in the band. Professor Gungl 
was a fine musician and had brought the band to a 
fine state of efficiency. Every morning they played 
at the Colonel's office, and on Sunday evenings, when 
we were always at home informally, Mr. Gungl would 

242 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



bring his violin, of which he was master. Miss Chis- 
more was a fine pianist, while Mrs. Gardner and one 
or two others sang delightfully. 

The night we left "Fort Robinson" the whole com- 
mand, including the band, also all of the ladies, went 
to the station to see us off. The train came along 
about nine o 'clock, and the passengers wondered what 
was happening. As we pulled out of the station we 
heard the cry of the men ; it was like the wail of the 
wind through a pine forest; I can never forget it. 
The Colonel was greatly affected and sat in silence. 
His long service was over. He had started out at the 
first call in 1861, joining the Tenth New York, of 
which he became quartermaster ; he was shortly trans- 
ferred as Captain to the Fifteenth U. S. Infantry, 
and was soon after ordered to Indiana to pay the 
soldiers of that state the ' ' advance bounty. ' ' He then 
w^ent to Richmond, Kentucky, to pay the Seventy- 
first Indiana Volunteers, that had been hurried off 
to the front to meet "Kirby Smith." On arriving 
there he found the regiment encamped about a mile 
from town. He showed them how to make their camp 
and fix their tents in proper manner, thus becoming 
identified with them. He had just finished paying 
them, when the pickets were fired upon. The Lieu- 
tenant Colonel asked him to take command of the 
regiment, but he could not as he and the Major ranked 

243 



REMINISCENCES OF 



him; however, he went into action with them, and 
after the Lieutenant Colonel and Major were killed, 
he commanded the regiment until the battle was over. 
After the regiment 's return to Indiana for reorganisa- 
tion, the officers and men petitioned the Governor to 
appoint him their Colonel, and Governor Morton, the 
great War Governor, gave the regiment to him. It 
was afterwards known as the Sixth Indiana Cavalry, 
and served until the close of the war. 

The Colonel was also in command of a brigade in 
General Stoneman's Cavalry when he was captured 
at Macon, Georgia. He also commanded a brigade 
under General Johnson, serving until the close of 
the war, receiving several brevets, one of Brigadier 
General foi' "long, gallant, and meritorious services 
during the war." After the war was over, he again 
joined his regular regiment, the Fifteenth Infantry, 
from which he was soon transferred to the Eleventh 
Infantry, and after the reconstruction of the States 
he was transferred to the Cavalry; he then went to 
the frontier, having, with the exception of three years, 
almost continuous Indian service, and yet he, with 
many others having fine records, was retired as a 
Colonel, clearly showing that an officer's record does 
not count for much without political backing, and I 
fear the army (unlike the navy) will be always more 
or less influenced by politics, for the reason that many 

244 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Senators and Members of Congress think that in case 
of war they could take command of a brigade or 
division, as several have done and left gallant records, 
while they all recognise they could not command a 
battle-ship, either in peace or war. 

The story of the Colonel's capture and exchange 
has interested so many of his old and new friends that 
I think I will give it, in his own words, as he told me 
the story after his return. Although he fared so much 
better than many others he lost over sixty pounds 
during his imprisonment, and my dear mother did 
not recognise him when she saw him, until he told 
who he was. 

He was taken prisoner about twenty miles from 
Macon, Georgia, but, as I have said, I will give it in 
his own words: 

' * I was in command of Biddle 's Brigade in General 
Stoneman's Cavalry, that held the left of the line 
of General Sherman's army at the investment of 
Atlanta. One morning of August, orders came from 
General Stoneman for me to pick out of my brigade 
all the horses that were capable of making a very 
long run. I was able to get about two hundred men 
sufficiently well mounted to comply with his orders, 
and was ready to move out from the left next morn- 
ing with 120 rounds of ammunition per man, and the 
main portion of a ration (not including meat) to last 

245 



REMINISCENCES OF 



ten days. In the morning I was in line at the desig- 
nated spot awaiting further orders. General Stone- 
man soon arrived and we moved out with about 1400 
men and a battery of light artillery and took up the 
march, passed round the right flank of Hood's army, 
down the railroad, to wait at Macon. We moved night 
and day with very short intermissions for rest, two 
hours being the longest I remember. We had flankers 
out on each side of the road with orders to bring in 
any suspicious parties, light waggons and bacon when- 
ever it could be obtained. As I have said, we moved 
with great rapidity, stopping only to feed the horses 
when we came across any grain, and also to replenish 
the nose bag or tie a bundle of unthrashed grain on 
the horses. As we neared Macon, we had a few slight 
skirmishes with the Confederates, who were evidently 
out seeking information. There had been a small 
squadron of the Third Indiana Cavalry sent eastward 
to destroy a railroad bridge. It accomplished its 
work and rejoined us. Some time after, on approach- 
ing Macon, we drove in the Confederate outposts, 
but when we reached the ford we found it impossible 
to cross, the river was so swollen, and citizens in- 
formed us they had never known it to be so high at 
that season of the year. What planking there had 
been on the railroad bridge had been removed, and 
besides, a battery in a small earthwork on the Macon 

246 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



side commanded the bridge. After the situation had 
been closely observed, there was nothing left for Gen- 
eral Stoneman to do but to turn back and face the 
large body of pursuers that we felt sure had followed 
us from Hood's army. After going about ten miles 
we struck their advance guard and drove them back 
until we came on the main body, commanded by Gen- 
eral Iverson. We battled with him for most of the 
day until our flanks were turned and driven in, when 
General Stoneman told me to hold the ground as long 
as I could with the few men I had left and he would 
send me word later what to do. Lieutenant Colonel 
Matson, commanding the Sixth Indiana Cavalry (my 
own regiment) , sent me word that his ammunition was 
about exhausted. I sent word for him to divide his 
ammunition among his men and to fall back and 
remain at some little distance until he heard further 
from me. General Stoneman and his staff were with 
me, besides the few men I had of the Fifth Indiana 
Cavalry, when we found we were surrounded (the 
other brigades having left). The Sixth Indiana Cav- 
alry, finding the Confederates had lapped between us, 
had also gone, and there was nothing for General 
Stoneman to do but surrender with the few men and 
myself that were left. I found the officer in command 
of the Confederates was Colonel Cruse, of Georgia, a 
gallant officer, whose command I had often had skir- 

247 



REMINISCENCES OF 



mishes with, and with whom I had become acquainted. 
He took me in charge and I stayed with him that night, 
and he asked Colonel Iverson to allow me to ride into 
Macon with him, the following morning, where I was 
to be put into the officers' prison. I here refer to an 
occurrence that took place that was the cause of my 
being able to do some acts of kindness to my prison 
companions and was the ultimate means of my being 
exchanged. 

' ' Shortly before I was captured my adjutant, Lieu- 
tenant G. A. Brown, came to me and informed me that 
he had captured a Confederate tax collector with con- 
siderable money, and asked what he should do with it. 
I told him to bring the money to me and let the man 
go. Shortly after he came, bringing a roll of Con- 
federate bills, which I put into my saddle-bags. On 
arriving at the prison I dismounted and put my 
saddle-bags over my arm to go in. As I walked in I 
saw on the other side of the fence a lot of officers of 
Stoneman's command. No one seemed to pay much 
attention to me, as I was put in alone, and I asked one 
of the officers what they were doing there. He said, 
'We have been searched to see what money or papers 
we might have.' I said, 'Have you been searched?' 
and on his replying in the affirmative, I took my 
saddle-bags quietly off and threw them to him, telling 
him to keep them for me. Shortly after I was called 

248 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



up and searched and the few dollars I had in green- 
backs and some official papers were taken from me, 
and I was sent into the prison. I soon found my 
friend with the saddle-bags and found the healthy 
wad of Confederate money secure. After going into 
the prison we were assigned to our bunks ; there were 
two or three tiers under a roof supported by posts but 
with no side walls. There was a walk outside of the 
posts and outside of the walk was a low fence, then 
a space of about twenty feet between the low fence 
and a high fence, where there was a walk on which the 
sentinel marched up and down on his post. To step 
over the low fence, which was called ' the dead line, ' 
subjected you to being shot. During the time I was 
in the Macon prison, General Stoneman, his staff and 
I messed together. The officers of my own regiment 
did not come to the prison until some time later, as 
they were not captured until they had gone a con- 
siderable distance from where General Stoneman sur- 
rendered. I kept the mess well supplied out of the 
Confederate funds and we lived well. But the com- 
manding officer got some inkling that the officers had 
considerable money and were spending it at the post- 
trader's, but the latter was kind enough to have his 
boy inform me there was to be a search made, so I took 
the money, rolled it in small rolls, stood up in my 
bunk and shoved it between the rafters and shingles 

249 



REMINISCENCES OF 



before the officer came to make the search. Of course 
nothing was found, and the search was made a second 
time with the same result, as I had again been 
informed. 

''After we had been in the Macon prison about six 
weeks we were moved to Charleston, South Carolina, 
and were put in the building known as 'The Castle,' 
down by the water front. General Stoneman, his staff 
and myself were put on the lower floor of the tower 
under fire of our guns from the earthworks and for- 
tifications. The shells came screeching over and 
landed in the upper part of the town, passing right 
over our heads. Previous to our arrival some of the 
shells had burst over the tower ; the holes were plainly 
seen that were made by the pieces of the shells in the 
ceiling of the room to which we were assigned. With 
the exception of the General, we all took turns in 
cooking and caring for the room. I continued to keep 
the mess in pretty good shape, with the balance of 
the money I had brought with me. One day the Gen- 
eral said, 'Biddle, I don't know what I would have 
done without you. ' I replied, ' I am glad that I have 
been able to help, but I think you ought to appoint 
me Chief Commissary.' 'Why, yes,' he said, 'I'll do 
it. ' I little thought when he joked how important it 
would be to me afterward. While we were in the 
Charleston Castle a report came that General Morgan 

250 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



and his brother had been captured in the North and 
there was some talk of having them hung. The report 
was, that if this were done Stoneman and I were to 
be treated in the same way, but there was nothing 
in it. 

' ' One day when it was my turn to be cook and room 
orderly I had tidied things up ; the others had gone 
out in the yard to sun themselves, and I was alone 
watching the beans cooking in the soup, when a Con- 
federate officer came into the room and asked if I 
were General Stoneman. I replied, 'No, but General 
Stoneman will be in shortly.' He then said, 'Here 
is a paper which I will leave for General Stoneman 
and his officers, and I will return soon. ' He went out, 
leaving the roll of paper lying loose on the table. I 
reached over, took the paper and read it. It was a 
parole of honor for General Stoneman and staff to 
make no attempt to escape while travelling to an 
exchange station to the north of Macon, near Atlanta. 
It was a pretty sad paper for me to read, to see that 
these gentlemen were going home fine and fat from 
my care and I to be left. I sat by the fire thinking 
deeply when a thought flashed through me. I pressed 
my finger to the side of my nose, and looking up said, 
' Oh ! Ho ! ' and felt quite comfortable. Shortly Gen- 
eral Stoneman and Colonel Keough came in. Stone- 
man picked up the paper, read it and passed it to 

251 



REMINISCENCES OF 



Keough and then to the other officers, who all looked 
over at me sorrowfully, knowing I knew the contents. 
The Confederate officer soon returned, when I pre- 
sented him to the General. He then asked the General 
if he and his officers were willing to agree to it. The 
General assented and sat down to the table and signed 
it. As he arose Keough started to sit down, but I 
motioned him back, seated myself in the chair and 
wrote: 'James Biddle, Sixth Indiana Cavalry, Chief 
Commissary.' A look of astonishment passed over 
their faces. After all had signed and the officer 
gone, Stoneman looked at me and said. 'How could 
you do it ? You are a brigade commander. ' I replied, 
' General, I am no brigade commander, I am a prisoner 
of war; and do you remember a little conversation 
we had a few days ago about my providing for you all 
so comfortably and you appointed me chief commis- 
sary of the staff? ' He said, ' You are right, and I 
hope it will get you out, ' and they all seemed glad that 
I might have a chance. 

''The next morning we packed together our few 
little things and started for the front. The report of 
my getting out had evidently gotten around, for the 
imprisoned officers lined the way and I had many con- 
gratulations and good wishes for my success, and away 
we went by rail to the front, about thirty miles from 
Atlanta. When we reached there I found General 

252 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



Iverson and Colonel Cruse. Iverson said, ^Why, 
Biddle, you are a brigade commander and not a chief 
commissary.' So I told him how it all occurred, and 
said, ' Colonel, we are both cavalrymen and have been 
hammering at each other for a long time; can't you 
help me out?' They had a little talk together and 
then explained that there had not been enough men 
sent in to exchange me, 'but,' General Iverson said, 
'we will parole you and give you a pass to go to 
headquarters and see if General Sherman can give 
you enough men to exchange you ; we are not to meet 
until day after to-morrow. It is about twenty miles 
to where the transfer is to be made. If there are not 
enough men to exchange for you, you will give no 
information whatever but will return here and give 
yourself up.' I accepted gladly and got off early in 
the morning, after having eaten a good breakfast. 
General Iverson gave me a pass to protect me from 
any Confederates I might meet and General Stoneman 
gave me a hard boiled egg, which he had sat on the 
day before, and that was all I had to eat on that 
twenty-mile walk. I ran on one patrol of cavalry, 
showed my pass and told what I was trying to do; 
they treated me kindly, wished me luck and bade me 
' Good-bye. ' The only other persons I saw were a man 
and his wife coming to get some rations and they 
had nothing to eat with them. I walked on and was 

253 



REMINISCENCES OF 



not as weary as I expected, having a hopeful heart 
and a mashed egg. 

'' Toward evening I happened to look along the 
road and saw sitting on his horse, at the top of a slight 
ascent, with his carbine at an advance, a man in 
blue — a picket of our army and one of the eyes of 
the army. I slipped into the brush, overcome with 
emotion, and waited for my heart to cease beating as 
it did before I stepped out for him to challenge me, 
for I don't know what I could have replied. At last 
I moved out into the road and he saw me. A voice 
called, 'Halt! who comes there?' I answered, 'A 
friend.' He called, 'Corporal of the Guard, Post 
No. 1,' and shortly after the corporal rode up and 
questioned me. I showed the pass and told who I 
was. (I had on a pair of corduroy riding trousers, 
blue flannel shirt, and top riding boots, and a slouched 
gray hat I had bought at Macon. I was covered with 
dust and did not look much like the party I repre- 
sented myself to be.) He took me to the picket-post, 
w^here there were a few mounted soldiers, and told me 
they were soon to be relieved and they would take me 
to General Belknap 's headquarters. General Belknap 
commanded the troops covering that portion of the 
front. I sat down with the men to rest, and asked the 
corporal if he had anything to eat. He said they had 
eaten everything up. I then asked if the men would 

254 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



scrape out the bottoms of their saddle-bags and see 
if there were not a few crumbs of hard tack. They 
soon raked up nearly a cup full and three little pieces 
of bacon — one with the marks of the teeth of the last 
biter. I borrowed a spoon, went down to the creek, 
soaked the crumbs and ate my supper. 

' ' The relief came soon and we went to headquarters. 
The corporal went to General Belknap and reported 
the circumstances of the meeting and bringing me in. 
The General immediately sent for me but I saw that 
he was xather suspicious. After talking a while he 
asked me if I would have a drink. I accepted with 
pleasure, as I really needed it, and took a big one. 
He said to me years after, when talking the matter 
over, 'Biddle, I was very suspicious of you until I 
saw you take that drink.' After a good supper he 
sent me in an ambulance to General Sherman's head- 
quarters in Atlanta, where I arrived quite late in the 
evening. I reported to the Adjutant General, telling 
who I was, and was then taken to the General, to whom 
I told the whole story. After hearing it he said, 
'Biddle, I am awfully sorry; I have exchanged every 
man prisoner I have.' I then said, 'General, I have 
to go immediately back.' The General told me the 
exchange party would go down by train to meet the 
Confederate officers with General Stoneman and staff 
and I could go with them. I asked the General where 

255 



REMINISCENCES OF 



I would find the Paymaster, who gave me a month's 
pay, as I had given away all the Confederate money 
when I left. 

"The next morning I was at the train when the 
three officers who were to go to the exchange came 
down. The clerk with them had a bundle of rolls 
and one of the officers a round bundle under his arm. 
We got into a box-car and were off. Going about half 
the distance I had walked we met the other train. I 
was getting out of the car with the others when the 
officer in command said, ' Colonel Biddle, remain here ; 
I will let you know when you are wanted.' I said, 
'Major, you understand my word is pledged to go 
back unless everything is all right. ' It seemed a long 
time to wait ; I could hear them laughing and talking, 
apparently very jovial and having a good time. After 
a while I looked out of the door and saw one of Stone- 
man 's officers coming. He looked very jolly and 
motioned to me very gaily. 'Hello, old man, what is 
it?' I said, and jumped out of the car. He held out 
his hand and said, 'Colonel, you are all right.' 

"We all took a drink and looked at the rolls to com- 
pare them. We then took another drink and compared 
them again. Then we all talked over things and let 
the clerks, who also had had drinks, figure out the 
rolls to see how they compared. The Confederate 
officers who came down were fine fellows; after tak- 

256 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



ing several more drinks and going carefully over the 
rolls it was found there were enough men to exchange 
for me, but on going back the officer in command said, 
' Biddle, to tell the truth, I believe you were exchanged 
for a keg of whiskey,' and I found the bundle that 
I had noticed under the Major's arm was the small 
keg of whiskey. I immediately asked for the keg, as 
I wanted a correct picture of it to be introduced as a 
quartering on the Biddle Coat-of-Arms. " 

Note. — Since writing these reminiscences. President 
Roosevelt has recognised the services of the Veterans 
of the Civil War, and has given each one, who had 
had no recognition, a grade higher than that in which 
he was retired, showing no favoritism, and also show- 
ing his estimate of our country's soldiers. It is safe 
to say that these men and their children 's children will 
revere his memory, for there is no higher quality than 
gratitude. 




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List of Subscribers 



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Marrs 
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Mrs. H. a. Dater 



A SOLDIER'S WIFE 



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Captain J. 



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Surgeon Appel, U. S. A. 
Gen. Alexander S. Webb 
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Captain John D. Green 
H. Lyman 



H 1"^ 90 














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HECKMAN 

BINDERY INC. 



DEC 89 V -^ . 

m^^ N. MANCHESTER, -' 

^^#^ INDIANA 46962 I t##^ 




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